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UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. 



THE 



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OR 



BOOK OF PRAYERS 

FOR 

THE USE OF FAMILIES' 

TO WHICH ARE ADDED PRAYEKS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 
ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



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BY SAMUEL R. FISHER 




CHAMBERSBURG, PA. : 

PRINTED BY M. KIEFFER & CO, 

1855. 



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Copyright secured accordiDg to Law. 



PREFACE 



To write or even to compile a book of prayers 
for public or private use^ is no ordinary task. Of 
this fact the writer of this preface is deeply con- 
scious. It was no slight consideration^ therefore, 
which induced him to undertake the preparation of 
the present volume^ in the midst of his other many 
engagements* The subject has been before his 
mind for several years past. Frequently has he 
been written and spoken to by a number of his 
brethren in the ministry, to recommend to them 
some book of prayers, suitable to be introduced 
into the families under their charge ; and as often 
has he found it difficult to comply with their re* 
quest. This difficulty did not arise from the fact, 
that no prayer books of merit have been published. 
A presumption like this, he would be far from en- 
tertaining for a single moment. The religious 
public well knows, that quite a number of prayer 
books, truly excellent in their place, have been 



IV. PREFACE. 

published from time to time. But with all their 
acknowledged merits, the writer is free to say, that 
he is not acquainted with a single volume, which 
he regards, in every respect, adapted to the pecu- 
liar wants of our people. Their style, in most in- 
stances, is too elevated ; and they fail, in other 
respects, to fall in fully with the form of piety, and 
to furnish expression for the spiritual wants, char- 
acteristic of the Churches, which derive their ori- 
gin from the German Churches of the Reformation. 
This consideration mainly, has prevailed upon him 
to undertake the preparation of the present volume, 
at the special solicitation of several personal friends, 
notwithstanding he is conscious, that the task ought 
to have been undertaken by one having more tal- 
ent for devotional writing, than he is conscious of 
possessing. He has endeavored to give to it the 
best of his energies, and consumed upon it many 
hours, during some five or six months, which would 
otherwise have been given to recreation or rest. 
If he has, by divine grace, succeeded in furnishing 
a work in any good degree adapted to cover the 
want it was designed to meet, he will consider him- 



PREMCE. V. 

self amply rewarded for all his toil and self-denial. 

A considerable portion of the prayers in the 
present volume are original. The matter for the 
rest has been gathered from various sources. In 
those instances, in which the prayers of other au- 
thors have been used, either entire or in part, they 
have, with a few exceptions, been entirely re-writ- 
ten, or re-arranged, with a view to simplify their 
style, as far as possible, and to adapt them to the 
wants of those, for whose use this volume is more 
particularly designed. The author acknowledges 
himself largely indebted for assistance in accom- 
plishing his task, to a small, but most excellent 
collection of prayers, by Samuel Palmer, which he 
believes to be now out of print. He has also de- 
rived considerable aid from the labors of Bicker- 
steth, Smith, Cotterill and a few others, as these 
have been incorporated by Albert Barnes in his 
collection of Family Prayers. In the prayers, 
having reference to Missions, and Sabbath Schools, 
he has worked up the additions made by Mr. 
Barnes to several of the prayers in his collection. 

The propriety of the use of forms, it is not in- 



Vi. PREFACE. 

tended here to discuss. The fact, that, In the ab^* 
sence of their use, many Christian families would 
be wholly without the benefits of regular devotion- 
al exercises in the family, is sufficient, in the wri- 
ter's estimation, to justify their preparation. Be- 
sides this, important assistance also can be derived 
from the perusal of well prepared forms, even 
where the exclusive use of them can be dispensed 
with in conducting family worship. 

With these remarks, the writer sends forth the 
present volume to the Christian public, with the 
hope, that it may meet with general acceptance, 
and the prayer, that, under the blessing of God, it 
may prove an important auxiliary to many in con- 
ducting their family devotions and other social re- 
ligious exercises, and thus be the means of greatly 
furthering the important interests of family and 
social religion. 

S. R. F* 

Chambersburg, Pa., October, 1855. 



CONTENTS 



MORNING AND 


EVENING PRAYERS. 




First week, 


. 


Page 8 


Second week, 


• • • • 


. 46 


Third week, 


« . • . 


. 91 


Fourth week, 


• • • • 


. 137 


PRAYERS FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS 


. 


Communion Sabbath, 


Morning, 


184 


Communion Sabbath, 


Evening, 


187 


Baptism of a Child, 


Morning, 


191 


Baptism of a Child, 


Evening, 


195 


Thanksgiving, 


Morning, 


198 


Thanksgiving, 


Evening, . . 


201 


Humiliation, 


Morning, 


205 


Humiliation, 


Evening, 


208 


Christmas, 


Morning, 


212 


Christmas, 


Evening, 


215 


Last day of the year, 


Evening, 


219 


First day of the year, 


Morning, 


. 223 


Good Friday, 


Morning, 


226 


Good Friday, 


Evening, 


230 


Easter Sabbath, 


Morning, 


233 


Easter Sabbath, 


Evening, 


237 


Ascension Day, 


Morning, 


240 



Vlll. 



CONTENTS. 



Ascension Day, Evening, 

Whitsunday, Morning, 

Whitsunday, Evening; 

Under dangerous Sickness, . . 
For one in Prospect of Death, 
Thanksgiving for Recovery from Sickness, 
Funeral, Morning, 

Funeral, Evening, 

Social Meetings, Opening, 

Social Meetings, Close, 

Social Meetings, Opening, 

Social Meetings, Close, 

Concert for Missions, Opening, 

Concert for Missions, Close, 

Sabbath School Concert, or 

Teacher\s Meeting, Opening, 
Sabbath School Concert, or 

Teacher's Meeting, Close, 
Sabbath School, Opening. 

Sabbath School, Close, 

Day School, Opening, 

Day School, Close, 

PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 

Before Catechetical Instruction, 
After Catechetical Instruction, 
Before Confirmation, 
After Confirmation, 
Miscellaneous Petitions, . 
Prayers at Table, 



FAMILY PRAYERS. 



FIRST WEEK. 
Sahlath Morning. 

most merciful and most gracious God and 
Father ! we bless thee for the return of this morn- 
ing's light, and for all the mercies it brings with 
it. This day is the Lord's, and the blessings and 
privileges for which it is distinguished are such as 
are peculiar to thy Sabbaths in the midst of a 
Christian land. Oh that we may be in the Spirit 
on the Lord's day, and be enabled to improve its 
sacred houi'S and precious privileges to the purpose 
for which they have been conferred. 

Be thou with us in our moments of retirement. 
Help us to commune with thee and our own hearts. 
May we read thy word, and meditate on its sacred 
contents, not as the word of man, but as it is in 
truth, the word of the living God. If permitted to 
go up to thy courts and mingle with thy people in 
the public services of the sanctuary, may thy pres- 
2 



10 FIKST WEEK. 

ence and blessing attend us thither. Enable us to 
•worship there before thee in the beauty of holiness^ 
and so to improve all the hours and privileges of 
this day, both in public and in private, that we 
shall, in our happy experience, make great progress 
in our journey toward the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Grace the assemblies of thy people "with that pres- 
ence of thine which thou hast promised where two 
or three are gathered together in thy name. Build 
up thy children in their most holy faith. Strength- 
en them for all thy mind and will concerning them. 
Convert sinners from the error of their Avays to 
the service of thee, the living and true God. Bless 
the ministers of the Gospel, and help them faith- 
fully to proclaim thy word. Accompany their 
efforts with the influences of the Holy Ghost, and 
crown them with the most abundant success. Send 
abroad the light of thy truth throughout the world; 
and hasten the coming of the kingdom of thy Son. 
Multiply such instrumentalities as thou art pleased 
to employ for this purpose, and abundantly suc- 
ceed them in the end whereunto they are sent. 

Remember in much mercy all classes and condi- 
tions of men. Eelieve all who are in circumstan- 
ces of want or distress. Bless our friends and 
kindred, companions and associates^ neighbors and 
acquaintances, providing for all their interests. 



FIRST WEEK. 11 

both for this world and for that which is to come. 
Hear, Lord, our prayers. Forgive our sins, 
though numerous and highly aggravated, granting 
us this day and all our days repentance for them, 
even such as is unto life ; and help us each one 
ever so to live, that at last, when our Sabbaths on 
earth shall end, we may be permitted to spend a 
Sabbath of eternal blessedness with thee in heaven, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose words we 
would address thee, as 

Our Father who art in heaven, &c. 



Sahhatli Evening. 

Thou hast been pleased, Lord, to favor us 
with another of thy holy Sabbaths. We have 
therein enjoyed, not only the comforts of thy Prov- 
idence, but also the blessings and privileges of thy 
grace. We have had thy word in our possession 
to read and examine for ourselves. Thy throne of 
grace has been accessible to us. Vfe have been 
permitted to place ourselves beneath the droppings 
of the sanctuary, and have had opened up to us a 
variety of sources of information with respect to 
the things which concern our souls' eternal peace. 
We thank thee for all the mercies and privileges 
thou hast thus conferred upon us in Jesus Christ 
thy Son* 



12 PIRST WEEE* 

Oh that thou wouldst now follow with thy bless-^ 
ing our efforts to serve thee this day, so far as they 
have been put forth in accordance with thy will ; 
and do thou, for Jesus' sake, forgive, whatsoever 
thy pure and holy eyes have seen amiss. In many 
things do we offend, and in all do we come infin- 
itely short of what thou dost require. Deal not 
with us in thine anger, or according to our deserts ; 
but remember thou us in mercy. 

Bless thy word unto all who have this day heard 
it. May the labors of thy servants not be in vain ! 
Cause thine own people to be thereby quickened 
in the ways of holy obedience, while sinners shall 
be induced to turn from their sins and live. 
May thus thy kingdom be made to come^ and thy 
will to be done on earth as in heaven. 

Be with us now this night. Watch over us 
throughout its silent hours. Protect us from harm 
and danger. Refresh us with quiet and comforta- 
ble repose. Prepare us for the labors and duties 
of the week that is before us, and for all that shall 
await us throughout our pilgrimage in this present 
evil world* Help us so to live from day to day, 
that, at last, when our days on earth shall be en- 
ded, we may be able to render our account to thee 
with joy, and not with grief, through Jesus Christ;, 



FIRST WEEK.. 13 

our Lord and Redeemer, who hath taught us, when 
addressing thee, to say, 

Our Father, who art In heaven, &c. 



Monday Morning. 

Lord, most merciful and most gracious ! slow 
to anger and abundant in goodness and truth. As 
such, thou hast proclaimed thyself in thy holy 
Vv^ord, and as such, thou art constantly manifesting 
thyself in thy dealings with the children of men. 
We are this morning in the land of the living, the 
monuments of thy sparing mercy, and the witness- 
es of thy boundless compassion and love. Thou 
hast been with us during the night that is past, 
and preserved us from the harm and danger to 
which we were exposed. No evil has befallen us, 
nor any plague come nigh our dwelling. To thee 
we would render our most hearty thanks for the 
care and protection we have thus experienced at 
thy hands. 

Oh that thou wouldst take us into thy care and 
keeping this day. Manifest thyself graciously 
present with us throughout its various vicissitudes. 
Guard us against every species of evil. Save us 
especially from sin, and help us to walk uprightly 
before thee in the land of the living. Let thy fear 
be constantly before our eyes, and thy glory the 



14 FIRST WEEK. 

ultimate end of all onr actions. May we live this 
day, and all our days, not unto ourselves, but unto 
Jesus Christ, who died for us, rose again, and ever 
liveth to make intercession for us. 

Suffer us not this " day to fall into temptation ; 
but if thy will be otherwise, do thou with the temp- 
tation, provide for us a way of escape. Make us 
equal to all our duties. Help us to rise superior 
to every difficulty ; and especially in our spiritual 
conflicts, may we come off conquerors, and more 
than conquerors, through Jesus Christ, who loved 
us, and gave himself for us. Give us success in 
our lawful undertakings ; and may all our pursuits 
be followed in subserviency to thy righteous and 
holy will. 

Remember in much mercy, this morning, all for 
whom we should pray. Do good unto thy children 
and people every where. Bless our friends and 
kindred, and make them thy friends and followers 
and the heirs of heaven. Have compassion on sin- 
ners, bringing them to repentance, and leading 
them to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sins of the world. Succour the tempted. Furnish 
relief to all who are in want or distress. Heal the 
sick ; prepare the dying for death, and the living 
for glorifying and praising thee. 

Hear us, Lord, in our supplications. Remit 



FIRST WEEK. 15 

unto ns our sins, and own us all at last as thine, 
through riches of grace in Jesus Christ our Redeem- 
er. Amen. 



Monday Evening, 

We thank thee, Lord our God and Father in 
Jesus Christ thy Son, that thou hast brought us in 
safety to the close of another day. Many have 
been the accidents and dangers to which we were 
exposed in the house and by the way ; but thou 
hast safely delivered us from them all. We are 
this night still enjoying the comforts of thy provi- 
dence and sharing the blessings and privileges of 
thy grace. We praise thee for all the mercies we 
are receiving at thy hands ; but especially for the 
gift of thy Son for the work of redemption ; and 
for the various means of grace, we are permitted 
to enjoy in and through him. Let thy goodness 
ever lead us to repentance for our sins, and thy 
long-suffering eventuate in the salvation of our 
souls. 

Look with an eye of special favor and regard 
upon all classes and conditions of men. Help 
them to make thee, the living and true God, their 
trust. May they find in thee all they need, both 
for this world and for that which is to come. Enable 



16 FIKST "WEEK. 

thine own professing children ever to live near the 
throne of grace. May they experience largely of 
the consolations of religion, and be strengthened 
in all things to walk worthy of their high and holy 
vocation. Bring sinners every where to repen- 
tance, and conduct them to the fountain which 
thou hast opened in the house of David, for the 
washing away of sin and uncleanness. Prosper 
thine own cause in the world. Bring to naught 
the works of darkness, and cause righteousness and 
peace every where to abound. 

Bless the land in which we dwell. Make it Im- 
manuers land. Give wisdom to our rulers, such as 
is profitable to direct. May they rule in thy fear, 
and the people learn to obey in righteousness. 
Oh that as a nation, we may become as much dis- 
tinguished for our devotedness to thee, as we are 
for our civil and religious privileges. 

Look in mercy upon thy Church. Bless espe- 
cially that portion of it, with which we are more 
immediately connected. Smile upon her institu- 
tions of learning, and succeed all her lawful efforts 
to enlarge her borders. Bless her ministry. Great- 
ly increase their number, and may they become 
more and more distinguished for their zeal and ac- 
tivity in the cause of their divine Master. Fill 
her membership with a spirit of entire consecration 



FIRST WEEK. IT 

to thy cause ; and may she thus become indeed a 
glory and a praise in the earth. 

Forgive, Lord, through the atoning merits of 
thy Son, the manifold sins and follies of which we 
have been guilty during the past day. May wo 
lie down this night at peace with thee, and our 
souls return to thee and repose in thee as their 
rest. Take care of us during the defenceless hours 
of sleep. Strengthen us for the duties and events 
of to-morrow, if it shall please thee to spare us to 
behold its light and mingle in its scenes ; and pre- 
pare thou us for every thing thou hast appointed 
for us in our pilgrimage through this world. May 
we ever be guided by thy good Spirit, and finally 
obtain the salvation of our souls, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 

Our Father who art in heaven, we come before 
thee once more this morning in the character of 
worshippers ; and we pray thee to regard us in 
mercy, and for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, 
to impart unto us those influences which we need 
to approach thee in a becoming and acceptable 
manner. 

Thou hast dealt with us in great loving kindness 



18 FIRST WEEK. 

during the time past of our lives. From day to 
day hast thou watched over us, and brought us in 
safety even to the present moment. We have 
been abundantly favored with the comforts of thy 
Providence and with the blessings and privileges 
of thy grace. During the night that is past, thou 
hast kindly watched over us, and permitted us to 
enjoy quiet and comfortable repose. This morn- 
ing finds us still in the land of the living, in the 
place of hope and repentance, and in the posses- 
sion of all that is essential to our true interests 
here, and our eternal felicity hereafter. We thank 
thee, Lord, in the sincerity of our hearts, for 
all we have thus experienced at thy hands, and 
pray for grace and strength to give proper expres- 
sion to our gratitude in all our life and conduct. 

May we this day find thee present with us still, 
in the midst of all the diversified scenes through 
which we shall be called to pass. We know not 
what a day or an hour may bring forth. Our lives, 
and all that concerns us, are in thy hands, and 
thou canst dispose of them as seemeth good in thy 
sight. Choose thou out for us all our changes, and 
help us to accommodate ourselves to them, wheth- 
er they be comfortable or affiictive. May we ap- 
preciate all our mercies and privileges aright, and 
improve them to the purpose for which they are 



PIRST WEEK. 19 

given. Help us cheerfully to acquiesce in "whatso- 
ever afflictive dispensations of Providence thou 
mayest see fit to send upon us, and may we find 
them, in our happy experience, to work together 
for our good, as they do unto all thy true children 
in Christ Jesus. 

Strengthen us for the faithful and successful 
discharge of the various duties which shall this day 
devolve upon us in the particular spheres in which 
we are called to move. May each one be found 
true to our relations and obligations. From the 
oldest to the youngest, from the least unto the 
greatest, may we all learn' to fear God, and to fol- 
low after the things which work righteousness and 
peace. Oh that we each one may be enabled to 
prove ourselves instruments in thy hands for the 
accomplishment of some good in our day and gen- 
eration ! Let the love of Christ shed abroad in our 
hearts by the power of the Holy Ghost, constrain 
us in all our thoughts, words and actions. 

Bless us as a family. May we so dwell togeth- 
er in thy fear, as mutually to subserve each others 
interests for time and for eternity. Enable us to 
carry about with us the Spirit of our divine Master, 
and to exemplify it in every thing we say or do. 
Do good unto all who are in any wise connected 
with us in this interesting and important relation. 



20 FIRST WEEK. 

Provide tliou for all their interests, and especially 
for those "which concern the welfare of the immor- 
tal soul. 

Remember in much mercy, the whole human 
family. Bestow upon the several members thereof, 
the blessings they respectively need. May thy 
fear be implanted in every heart, and all learn to 
follow after the things which make for their eter- 
nal peace. 

Our supplications are once more before thee, 
Lord. "Wilt thou hear us in mercy and answer us 
in peace. Let our sins all be blotted out of the 
book of thy remembrance, and our souls eventual- 
ly saved with an everlasting salvation, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, our Strength and our Re- 
deemer. Amen. 



TuesdciTj Evening. 

Almighty and ever living God, we gather this 
evening as a band of worshippers around our fami- 
ly altar, and would unite in presenting to thee our 
customary sacrifice of prayer, and praise, and 
thanksgiving. We rejoice, that this privilege has 
been again accorded us, and under a deep con- 
sciousness of our insufficiency of ourselves to improve 
it aright, we would look to thee for enlarged com- 



HRST WEEK. 21 

munications of thy grace, so that the offering we 
bring thee, may be such as shall be acceptable in 
thy sight, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, our 
Strength and our Eedeemer. 

We have this day been again the recipients of 
thy mercies, and the objects of thy special favor 
and regard. All our wants, both temporal and 
spiritual, have been supplied as they returned. We 
have had food to eat, raiment to put on, and have 
been provided with a comfortable place of abode* 
And together with all these creature comforts, we 
have also largely shared the blessings and privi- 
leges of thy grace. What more could have been 
done for our temporal and eternal interests, than 
thou hast been pleased to do ? And yet, in the 
midst of all thy mercies, to what little purpose do 
we live, and how little fruit do we bring forth ! 
We would humble ourselves before thee, this even- 
ing, in view of our manifold sins and short comings^ 
and pray for the manifestation of thy pardoning 
mercy and forgiving love, as these are exercised in. 
Jesus Christ thy Son. At the same time would 
we raise our hearts to thee, in grateful acknowl- 
edgments, for the manifold tokens of thy loving 
kindness with which thou hast been pleased to fa- 
vor us this day. 

May we this night continue to be the objects of 



22 FIRST WEEK. 

thy care. Let the arms of thy love and mercy en- 
circle us throughout its silent watches. Sufier us 
not to be overtaken with harm or danger. Permit 
us to enjoy refreshing sleep, and may we find our- 
selves greatly strengthened thereby for the duties 
and events which shall await us during the coming 
day. Fit us for thy mind and will concerning us 
on earth, and for glory and blessedness in the 
world to come. 

Do us good this night as individuals. Come 
thou into each one of our hearts ; take up thine 
abode with us, and rule in us and reign over us 
without a rival. Make us all thy children in truth 
and in deed, and help us each one to walk worthy 
of our high and holy relations. 

Bless all who truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. 
May they, at all times, experience largely of the 
consolations of thy grace. Have compassion upon 
the perishing ; and do thou every where display the 
power and the glory of thy grace in the salvation 
of their souls. And thus may the period be soon 
introduced, which thou hast promised shall come, 
when Jesus shall reign in the hearts of the children 
of men, King of nations, as he now reigns King of 
saints. 

Now, Lord, what wait we for ? Truly our help 
is in thee. Let thy presence accompany us through- 



PIRST WEEK. 2S 

out our whole pilgrimage in this present evil world; 
and when thou hast served thy wise and holy pur- 
poses with respect to us here below, introduce us 
all into the joys of heaven, through riches of grace 
in Christ Jesus our Redeem er* Amen. 



Wednesday/ Morning. 

Infinitely great and glorious Lord God Almighty ! 
whose throne is in the heavens, and whose kingdom 
ruleth over all. We are the creatures of thy power, 
the workmanship of thy haiids, and the daily pen- 
sioners of thy bounty. Thou hast brought us into 
being and dost uphold and sustain us therein from 
day to day. To thee are we indebted for every 
mercy and blessing which distinguishes our lot. 

We would this morning record thy loving kind- 
ness w-ith grateful hearts. We would erect our 
Ebenezer to thee, and say, Hitherto, Lord, hast 
thou helped us. It is of the Lord's mercies, that 
we have not been consumed; yea, because thy 
compassions fail not, but are renewed every morn- 
ing and evening, and repeated every moment of 
our lives. We would praise thee this morning for 
the comforts of the past night, and for the blessings 
and privileges with which we are this moment sur- 
rounded. 

Let thy presence and blessing attend us this day. 



24 FIRST WEEK. 

May we be secure under the shadow of thy wings 
against every thing that would disturb or destroy. 
Qualify thou us especially for the proper perform- 
ance of our several duties^ and for the faithful im* 
provement of our multiplied privileges. Preside 
over all our thoughts, and feelings, and words, and 
actions, and overrule all for the glory of thy name 
and the good of our souls. 

Bless us in our associated capacity. May we, 
as a family, be as much distinguished for our de- 
votedness to thee, as we are for the mercies of thy 
jProvidence and the privileges of thy grace. Let 
us each one possess the spirit of our stations, and 
be enabled, in our respective spheres, to occupy 
faithfully, even until thou dost come. And grant, 
O Lord, especially, that we may all so live and act, 
that, as we now constitute a family here below, we 
may at last be permitted to constitute a portion of 
that great family, of which Christ Jesus is the 
head. 

Look in mercy this morning upon all who are 
near and dear unto our hearts. Provide thou for 
all their interests, and especially for those which 
relate to the welfare of their immortal souls. Make 
all thy children true to their relations and obliga- 
tions. May they thus be instrumental in accom- 
plishing much good in their day and generation. 



FIRST WEEK, 25 

Have mercy upon sinners. Let them be plucked 
as brands from the eternal burnings, and made the 
trophies of thy grace, and the monuments of thy 
sparing mercy, and the living witnesses of thy 
boundless goodness and love. 

Hear us, Lord, in our prayers, this morning, 
seeing we offer all in the name and through the 
mediation of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 



Wednesday Evening. 

thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the most 
high God over all the earth ! Help us to approach 
thee this evening, with becoming sentiments of 
awe and reverence for thy majesty. Forbid that 
in any thing we should be guilty of trifling in thy 
presence. We fear, that we only too often draw 
near to thee with our lips, when our hearts are far 
from thee. Forgive, Lord, whatsoever thou hast 
seen amiss in us in this respect, and preserve us 
against similar transgressions for the time to come. 
To this end, do thou fill us with the spirit of pray- 
er and supphcation, that we may at all times, wait 
upon thee in sincerity and in truth. 

Thou art constantly placing us under renewed 
obligations to thee. From day to day are our un- 
profitable lives prolonged, and crowned with the 
3 



26 FIRST WEEK, 

acts of thy loving kindness and compassionate re- 
gard. During the day that is past especially, have 
we been the recipients of the tokens of thy special 
favor and love. Thou hast furnished us richly with 
the comforts of this present life, and also extended 
unto us abundantly of the blessings and privileges 
of thy grace. We have had all that was requisite 
to our comfort and peace in this world, and to our 
eternal interests in that which is to come. 

We praise thee, Lord, for all the mercies and 
privileges of the past day. Oh that they may not 
be spent upon us in vain, but be the means of lead- 
ing us to repentance for our sins, of awakening in 
our hearts feelings of unfeigned gratitude and love, 
and of constraining us to consecrate ourselves with 
all that we have and are to thy service, as the only 
suitable return we can make for what we are re- 
ccing at thy hands. 

We are about to commit us once more to our beds 
for the repose of the night. We ask that thy pres- 
ence may still be with us, and thy blessing continue 
to rest upon us. Wilt thou give thine angels charge 
over us, that no evil may befal us, nor any plague 
come nigh unto us. If it shall please thee to spare 
us to see the light of another day and to permit 
us to enter upon its duties and privileges, do thou 
prepare us for all that shall await us therein. May all 



PIEST WEEK. 27 

our time on eartli be spent in thy fear and service, 
so as to fit us for spending an eternity of blessed- 
ness with thee in heaven. 

Should it be thy will to call any of us hence ere 
another day dawn upon us, do thou prepare us for 
the solemn and trying event. May our peace be 
made with thee, and our right and title to eternal 
life secured, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Oh that we may ever hold ourselves in such an at- 
titude of readiness to meet thee, at the hour of thy 
coming, that death may not at any time overtake 
us by surprize. 

We would this night pray, not for ourselves only^ 
but also for all whom we should remember at the 
throne of thy heavenly grace. Bestow upon them 
the several blessings we crave for ourselves. Es- 
pecially deny them not the things which are essen- 
tial to their souls' eternal peace. May thy grace 
and glory be ever displayed ia the deliverance of 
those who are perishing in their sins. 

These blessings, Lord, we ask not in our own 
name, nor for our own sake, but in the name and 
for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, who is wor- 
thy, with thee, the Father and the Eternal Spirit, 
to receive praises and glory everlasting. AMEiN". 



28 MRST WEEK. 

Thursday Horning, 

Lord God Almighty, tlie Creator of heaven 
and earth, the Lord of glory ! Unto thee would we 
come in the name of Jesus Christ. May we now 
by him, through the Holy Spirit, have access with 
confidence to the throne of grace. 

We would acknowledge before thee, our great 
sinfulness >nd un worthiness. In thought, in word 
and in deed, have we often sinned against thee, 
and against each other. Oh that thou wouldst, for 
thine own name and thy mercy's sake, blot out 
our transgressions, and remember not our sins 
against us. Deliver us from hardness of heart, 
earthly-mindedness, want of charity, hastiness of 
spirit, and from every sinful word and action. 
Help us ever hereafter to walk worthy of the voca- 
tion wherevfith we are called. 

May we with all lowliness and meekness, with 
long suffering, forbearing one another in love, 
endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the 
bond of peace. Give unto each of us grace to ful- 
fil our duties to each other. May we be enabled 
so to live, that we may realize in our happy expe- 
rience, how good and how pleasant it is for breth- 
ren to dwell together in unity. Enable those of us, 
who are parents, to bring up our children in the 
nurture and admonition of the Lord; and may 



FIRST WEEK. 29 

such as are children, learn to obey their parents 
in all things. 

We ask thy blessing upon the land in which we 
dwell. We lament, that the swearer, the drunk- 
ard, the Sabbath-breaker, the covetous, the licen- 
tious, and the blasphemer, abound on every side. 
Because of these things, we know, the wrath of 
God Cometh on the children of disobedience. 
Spare us, good Lord, spare us, for thy name, and 
thy mercy, and thy truth's sake. Remove far 
from us as a people, all the evils which threaten 
our peace and prosperity. Give unto those, who 
have the direction of our public affairs, grace faith- 
fully to perform all their duties in thy fear. 

Pour out thy Spirit copiously upon all who min- 
ister in holy things. May thy people be gracious- 
ly revived, and sinners converted to the faith of 
thy Son. Cause thy Church every where to flour- 
and increase. May her membership grow in puri- 
ty, love and zeal. Add daily to their number, . in 
our own country and in heathen lands, such as 
shall be saved. Bless every missionary, who has 
gone forth to preach to the Gentiles the unsearch- 
able riches of Christ. Give unto them more and 
more grace, that they may labor zealously, wise- 
ly and successfully in thy cause. 

And now, Lord, accept our united thanksgivings^ 



80 mUST WEEK. 



for all the blessings we daily so richly enjoy, and 
especially for the kind protection of another night. 
We would thank thee also for the many dear ties 
of relationship, affection and Christian principles, 
which bind ns together. May we be more and 
more knit together in Christian love. 

But beyond all other mercies, we would bless 
thee for the gift of thy Son, as our only Saviour, 
our only hope and our sure refuge. Oh that we 
may be enabled to say, that we are all one in 
Christ, members of that body of which he is the 
head ! For such an unspeakable mercy, may we 
ever have cause to bless and praise thee. 

Thou hast given us this opportunity of assemb- 
ling ourselves together once more, to pay to thee 
our morning sacrifice. We thank thee for the 
mercy therein revealed to us, and pray, that how- 
ever we may be separated here below, or however 
scattered in our different stations or pursuits, as 
we have now met together here on earth, so may we 
hereafter all meet in heaven for Christ's sake. 
Ame:n'. 



TJiiiTsday Evening. 

Gracious and merciful God ! Thou art slow to 
anger, great in power, and rich in mercy unto all 



HRST WEEIt. 81 

who call upon thee. Help us now so ask, in the 
name of Christ, that we shall receive ; so to seek 
that we shall jBnd ; and so to knock, that it shall 
he opened unto us. 

Enter not into judgment with us ; for in thy 
sight shall no flesh living be justified. However 
correct our lives may appear to men, we are con- 
scious, that before thee, who searcheth the heart 
and trieth the reins, we have come infinitely short 
of what thou dost require. "VYe would this night 
confess and bewail before thee the manifold sins of 
our past lives, and especially those, of which we 
have been guilty the past day. 

With shame and sorrow would we acknowledge 
our hypocrisy and pride, our vanity and selfishness, 
our unbelief and impatience, our self-indulgence 
and self-righteousness, our obstinacy and self-will, 
our disregard of thy law and thy glory ; our living 
unto ourselves and not unto thee. Especially 
would we lament, that our hearts are so hard as 
not to feel as we ought the guilt and the evil of so 
many and such great sins. Do thou, by thy might 
and thy power, soften and break these hard hearts 

Give us, Lord, a contrite spirit. Let thy 
mercy toward us be displayed in pardoning our 
sins and in renewing our souls. May we be ena- 
bled to exercise penitence, faith, and self-denial, 



32 FIRST WEEK. 

and every Christian grace and virtue. Let the 
love of Christ be more and more known and felt 
by us, and constrain us to live, not unto ourselves, 
but unto him who died for us. Grant us thy Holy 
Spirit, to teach us those things of which we are 
ignorant, taking of the things of Christ and show- 
ing them unto us, and to renew our natures, and 
sanctify our hearts. 

We ask for that wisdom from above, which is 
profitable to direct. Incline us to study to be 
quiet, and to do our own work, and to live peacea- 
bly with all men. Prepare us day by day, more 
and more, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
May we especially be made meet to be partakers 
of the inheritance of the saints in light. 

We commend us to thy care during the night. 
May we lie down at peace with thee, and with all 
men. If permitted to rise again from our beds of 
repose, may we enter upon our duties with renewed 
zeal, and increased devotedness to thy service. 

Look in mercy upon all who need an interest in 
our prayers. Will the Lord comfort his own peo- 
ple, and furnish relief to such of them as are afflict- 
ed. Let all nations, whom thou hast made, come 
and worship before thee, and glorify thy name. 
May every obstacle, which hinders the progress of 
thy truth, be removed in mercy. Bless all the 



PIRST WEEK. 83 

members of the Churcli of Jesus Christ. Fill her 
ministers with a double portion of thy Spirit. May 
those especially with whom we are more immedi- 
ately connected, be characterized by a proper zeal 
and activity in thy cause. 

Give to our parents, our brothers, our sisters, 
and all our relatives, the blessings both temporal 
and spiritual, of which they stand in need. Bless 
our superiors, our companions and associates, and 
all with whom we have to do. Pardon any who 
may have injured us ; and, if we have injured any, 
may we be ready to confess our faults and to make 
restitution ; and may they be disposed to forgive us. 

Accept our grateful acknowledgments for the 
mercies and comforts of the past day. Continue 
thy favors unto us as we need them for the time to 
come. And may we be enabled at all times so to 
live in thy fear and to thy praise, that we shall 
have administered unto us at last an abundant en- 
trance into thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Friday Morning. 

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and 
on earth is named, graciously dispose our hearts 



34 



FIEST WEEK. 



by the influences of thy Holy Spirit, to worship 
thee, through one Mediator, Jesus Christ, our Lord* 

Accept our unfeigned tha^nksgivings for the mer- 
cies of another day. Thou hast kept us in safety 
during the defenceless hours of the night. We 
have laid us down in peace, and have awoke again 
refreshed, even because, thou. Lord, hast sustain- 
ed us. We bless thee, that thou hast given us a 
soul, capable of knowing and rejoicing in thee, and 
a body also by which we may serve thee. Espe- 
cially would we praise thee, for the seeing eye, 
and the hearing ear ; for the free use of our limbs 
and senses, and for the power of the mind and the 
affections of the heart. 

But above all, would we thank thee for our spir- 
itual blessings. We bless thee that we were not 
born in heathen lands, but in this highly favored 
country, where the light of thy truth clearly shines. 
We thank thee for the comfort of the Holy Scrip- 
tures, for the labors of faithful ministers, and for 
all the means of grace. How great, Lord, has 
been thy love to us ! Thou sparedst not thine own 
Son, but deliveredst him up for us all ; and with 
him, thou hast also freely given us all things. 

What shall we render to the Lord for all his 
benefits ? We desire afresh to consecrate ourselves 
to thy service. The God of peace sanctify us 



FIRST WEEK. 35 

•wholly ; and grant that our whole spirit, and soul, 
and body, may be preserved blameless unto the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

With shame and confusion of face, would we con- 
fess, that we have been disobedient and rebellious. 
Thou art holy, but we are unholy. Thou art mer- 
ciful, but we have often been selfish and unkind. 
Thou art pure, but we are impure. Thou art pa- 
tient, but we are impatient. We have too often 
abused thy gifts, and made them occasions of sin. 
Lord, we acknowledge our impenitence, we confess 
our unbelief, we bewail our self-righteousness. 

Deal not with us according to our deserts ; but re- 
member toward us thy great and tender mercies, 
which have been ever of old. Grant unto every 
one of us a saving interest in the death of Christ, 
full and free forgiveness of all our sins, and grace 
and strength to go and sin no more. Help us, 
Lord, to love thee, and teach us to serve thee. May 
we have power from on high this day to resist 
every temptation, to confess Christ before men, to 
labor steadfastly with an eye single to thy glory, 
to live in the spirit of prayer, in faith, humility, 
self-denial, and love, and to walk before thee in 
that narrow way which leads to life. Fill us with 
love to others. May we seek to do good to all men, 
and help us to keep ourselves unspotted from the 



36 FIRST WEEK. 

world. And that all these fruits of righteousness 
may appear in our lives, do thou graciously grant 
us thy good Spirit, even for thine own name and 
for thy glory's sake. 

Hear us also, this morning, in behalf of our rel- 
atives and friends, our neighborhood, our minister, 
and all for whom we should pray. Help those 
that are weak. Comfort those that are cast down. 
Heal those that are sick. Relieve those that are 
in distress. Be merciful unto thy Church. Oh 
bless us, and cause thy face to shine upon us, that 
thy way may be known on earth, thy saving health 
among all nations. Bring the heathen to Christ. 
Gather thy people Israel into thy fold. Give wis- 
dom and power to every effort of Christian love 
for spreading thy Gospel. Bless all societies form- 
ed for this end, and let those who support and con- 
duct them, have thy direction and guidance. Lord 
grant that the power of the cross of Christ may at 
length fully triumph over all error and superstition, 
all idolatry, delusion and sin. 

Gracious Lord, not for our worthiness, but only 
for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, do thou hear 
us in these our prayers, which we would sum in his 
own words, saying, 

Our Father, &c. 



FIRST WEEK. 37 

Friday Evening. 

Blessed be thy great and excellent name, 
Lord, that thou didst so love the world as to give 
thine only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
Especially would we praise thee, that the knowledge 
of this glorious fact has come to us, and that the 
rich treasures of thy grace which have been there- 
by provided, are so fully and freely offered to our 
acceptance. Oh that v^'^e may be enabled by the 
gracious influences of thy Holy Spirit, to improve 
our high and holy privileges to the glory of thy 
name, and the interests of our souls. 

We trust that we are properly sensible of our 
great need of a Saviour, such as thou hast provided 
in the gift of thy Son. We are all sinners by na- 
ture, and more especially are we such by our con- 
stant practice. Even the day which has just closed, 
bears fearful witness against us, on the score of 
transgression. Vv'ert thou to deal with us as we 
deservCj we must be forever undone. Oh that 
thou wouldst help us to flee to the refuge which 
thou hast provided for us in Jesus Christ thy Son. 
May we seek in him, not only pardon and peace ; 
but also grace and strength. We are weak, but he 
is strong. Grant that we may find his grace to 



88 FIRST WEEK. 

be sufBcient for us, and his strength perfected in 
our weakness. May we be united to him, as the 
branch is united to the vine, so that as he lives, we 
may live also, and that when he, who is our life, 
shall appear, we may also appear with him in 
glory. 

We praise thee, this night, as the Giver of every 
good and perfect gift. Thy mercies have been 
continued unto us during the past day. Thou hast 
administered abundantly to the supply of our re- 
turning wants. We have also been favored with 
every comfort our condition has required. Help 
us to trace all to thee, the source whence they are 
derived ; and may we make to thee those returns, 
which are justly thy due. 

We commend ourselves to thy care and keeping 
during the night. Let no evil come nigh us. May 
our last thoughts be with thee ; and when we awake, 
may we be still with thee. Refresh our bodies 
with quiet repose ; and renew our souls also with 
spiritual strength. Teach us ever to watch and 
pray, and to be always ready, seeing we know not 
the day nor the hour, when the Son of Man shall 
come. 

Extend thy merciful care to all who are near 
and dear to us. We pray for all our relatives. 
May those who are endeared to us by the ties of 



PIRST WEEK. 89 

nature, be yet still more endeared to us by the 
stronger bonds of grace. Grant that we may all 
be one in Christ Jesus our Lord. We pray also 
for our Christian friends, for our neighbors, and 
for all with whom we have intercourse. 

Bless those who minister before the Lord. May 
they be faithful, wise, humble, and devoted ser- 
vants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every where raise 
up pastors according to thine own heart, who shall 
feed thy people with knowledge and understand- 
ing. Grant thy blessing to every missionary now 
preaching Christ to the heathen. Cause Jew and 
Gentile to turn to the Lord, that they may be 
saved. Bring on the happy day, when there shall 
be one fold and one Shepherd ; and when they 
shall not hurt, nor destroy in all thy holy moun- 
tain; and do thou also fill the whole earth with thy 
glory. 

And now. Lord, our eyes, our hearts, and our 
hopes are directed to thee. May our rightful ex- 
pectations not be disappointed. Do thou help us, 
and all thy children, so to live, that we shall be 
enabled through the Spirit, to ascribe blessing, and 
honor, and glory, and power, unto Him who sitteth 
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and 
ever. Amen. 



40 FIRST WEEK. 

Saturday Morning, 

This morning, Lord, would we once more ap- 
pear before thee, as worshippers. May the feel- 
ings of our hearts, and the sentiments of our minds, 
as well as the words of our lips, be such as shall 
correspond with the solemnity of the position we 
are occupying. 

We would praise thee for thy preserving mercy 
through another night. We have laid us down, 
and slept, and awoke again, refreshed, because 
thou hast sustained us. Not only have our lives 
been preserved ; but also the mercies of thy Provi- 
dence and the privileges of thy grace are still con- 
tinued. We are in the possession of every thing 
necessary for the comfort of our bodies, and for 
the salvation of our souls. We would thank thee 
for what thou hast done for us, and pray that we 
may continue to be the objects of thy favor and 
love. 

As we have been spared by thy mercy, help us 
to enter, with proper feelings, sentiments and pur- 
poses, upon the duties and dangers of another day. 
May we realize that we are not our own, but be- 
long to our faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ, who 
hast purchased us with his own blood. Our bodies 
and souls ; our life, our property, our health, our 
talents, are all thine. Help us to employ them in 



PlRST WEEK* 41 

thy service^ and for thy glory. Make us useful to 
our fellow men. Open before us the paths of be- 
nevolence and dispose us to walk therein. Oh 
that we may not live in vain ! But grant. Lord, 
that such may ever be the tenor of our lives, that 
when we die, whether it be this day, or at some 
future period, we may enjoy the pleasing satisfac- 
tion of knowing, that we have been enabled by thy 
grace, to do something, though it be far less than 
our hearts desired, for that blessed cause, in be- 
half of which, thy Son, though he w^as rich, yet be- 
came poor, and gave himself even unto death, that 
he might save a lost world. 

Do thou regard in mercy, thy Church, the mys- 
tical body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Heal all her 
divisions. Impart unto her membership a spirit of 
increased zeal and devotion to thy cause. May 
they appreciate aright the privileges of thy grace, 
with which they are so richly favored, and seek to 
extend them unto all who are destitute of them. 
Raise up additional laborers in the vineyard of our 
Lord, and send them forth into the destitute por- 
tions of the earth. May they be meek, humble, 
patient, believing, laborious and persevering men, 
such as are demanded by the wants of a perishing 
world; men willing to spend themselves and be 
spent for the cause of Christ. Do thou keep them 
4 



42 FIRST WEEK, 

sound in the faith, as well as pure in heart and life. 
May they open their mouth boldly, to proclaim the 
mysteries of the Gospel. Give them success in theit 
labors of love. Let the course of thy Providence 
prepare the way for such a result. May every 
fresh advance, either in commerce, science or arts, 
aid the coming of the Redeemer's kingdom. May 
all things thus work together for the good of thy 
cause, until all shall be brought to know thee, the 
only true God, from the least unto the greatest. 

And that these glorious ends may be speedily 
secured, we pray thee to grant a full out-pouring 
of thy Holy Spirit upon all flesh ; upon kings of 
the earth and all people ; upon Christian ministers 
everywhere; upon princes, senators and magis- 
trates ; upon young men and maidens, old men and 
children. Let them all praise the name of the 
Lord, whose name alone is excellent, and whose 
glory is above the earth and the heavens. 

It is not our glory, but thine, Lord, we would 
seek. We long, we ask, we pray, that thy will may 
be done on earth as in heaven; that all nations, 
whom thou hast made, may come and worship be- 
fore thee, and glorify thy name. Lord, thou 
knowest our desires, though we may not know how 
to express them as we should. Do for us, and for 



FlUST WEEK. 4S 

tiiy Cliurcli, e:^ceeding abundantly above all that 
we ask or think, for thy great name's sake. 

These prayers we offer in the name of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen. 



Saturday Eveniyig. 

Thou hast brought us, Lord, in safety to the 
close of this day, and therewith also to the close 
of the "week, and to the eve of another of thy holy 
Sabbaths. Help us now to draw nigh unto thee 
with pure hearts, in the full assurance of faith, and 
to present to thee such an offering as thou shalt be 
pleased to own and accept. 

X' We are thy needy and dependent creatures. 
Our wants are many and great ; but thou canst and 
dost supply them out of thine inexhaustible fulness. 
Impress us deeply with a sense of our obligations 
to thee, and grant us grace and strength to meet 
them all faithfully in thy fear. 

Thou hast lengthened out the period of our lives, 
whilst many around us have been carried to the 
tomb. Make us grateful for thy sparing mercy ; 
but help us, at the same time, to remember, that 
we too are mortal, and teach us so to number our 
days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 
Many have been involved in perplexity and distress, 



44 :^1RST Week. 

and exposed to "want ; many also have been confined 
to the house of mourning, or the bed of sickness ; 
whilst we have been favored with liberty, and ease^ 
and health, and strength. We have seen thy lov-- 
ing kindness every morning, and thy faithfulness 
every night; and have had all things richly to en- 
joy- 

But, Oh, how little have we been affected by the 

instances of thy undeserved goodness ! How im- 
perfectly have we improved our religious privile- 
ges ! How negligent have we been in seizing op- 
portunities of doing good to the bodies and souls of 
our fellow creatures ! And how well does it be- 
come each one of us to exclaim, Behold, I am vile; 
what shall I answer thee ? Wherefore, I abhor 
myself, repenting in dust and ashes. 

We appear before thee, this evening, acknowl- 
edging our trespasses and sins. Enter not into 
judgment with thj servants, Lord. Our only 
hope, our only encouragement, is in the fact, that 
to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgive- 
ness in Jesus Christ his Son, though we have re-= 
belled against him. Have mercy upon us, God, 
according to thy loving-kindness ; according to the 
multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out our trans- 
gressions. 

And may a sense of thy goodness to us, instead 



FIRST WEEK. 45 

of encouraging ns to sin, that grace may abound, 
lead us to the exercise of that godly sorro\y, which 
worketh repentance unto life. May we hate every 
evil and false way. Make us attentive to our con- 
dition, and help us to study our character. Ena- 
ble us to bridle our tongue and to keep our heart 
with all diligence. 

May we often look back over our past lives, and 
see in what v/ay we have frequently been ensnared 
or overcome ; and watch and pray in future, lest 
we enter into temptation. Keep us by thy pov^er 
and uphold us by thy free Spirit ; and not only re- 
strain us from sin, but also mortify us to it. 

May sleep refresh our bodies this night, and fit 
them for thy service on the ensuing day ; and may 
thy grace prepare our minds for waiting on thee. 
Enable us to leave all the cares of the world for 
awhile behind, that we may attend on the Lord 
without distraction. May we repair to the hallow- 
ed exercises of devotion, as the hart panteth after 
the water brooks. May our experience be such as 
to enable us to call the Sabbath a delight, the holy 
of the Lord, honorable, so that wo shall be glad, 
when they say to us, Let us go into the house of 
the Lord. 

And, thou God of all grace, do as thou hast 
said ; fulfill thy word unto thy servants, upon 



46 SECOND WEEK. 

"whicli thou hast caused them to hope. Bless 
abundantly the provisions of thy house, and satisfy 
thy poor with bread. Clothe thy priests with sal- 
vation, and let thy saints shout aloud for joy. 

And to the God of all grace, the Pather, the 
Son, and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, 
both now, and forever. Amen. 



SECOND VvEEK. 

Sahhath Morning. 

Most gracious God and Father ! It is good for 
us to draw near to thee. Oh do thou draw nigh 
unto us ! 

We bless thee for the return of this morning's 
light. Let the day-spring from on high visit our 
souls, and the sun of righteousness arise with heal- 
ing in his beams. This is the day the Lord hath, 
made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. May 
it indeed be the Sabbath of the Lord in our dwel- 
ling, and in our hearts ; a Sabbath of rest from sin, 
and of rest in God. Enable us, we pray thee, so 
to sanctify this day, that it may be made the 
means of our sanctification. Grant, that by rest- 
ing from our worldly employments, our hearts may 
be taken from present things ; and that, by em- 
ploying our time in the worship of God, we may 



SECOND WEEK. 47 

be led into a more experimental acquaintance with 
the Tvork of heaven, and be made more meet for 
that blessed world. 

Assist us in all the religious ser\dces of this, thine 
own holy day. Go with us to the solemn assem- 
bly ; for, if thy presence go not with us, wherefore 
should we go thither ? Help us to draw nigh unto 
thee with a true heart, in the full assurance of 
faith. Meet us, Lord, with a blessing. Grace 
thine own ordinances with that special presence of 
thine, which thou hast promised, where two or three 
are gathered together in thy name. Help us 
against our manifold infirmities, and the sins that 
do most easily beset us, in our attendance upon 
thee. Let thy word come with life and power 
upon our souls, and be as good seed sown in good 
soil, taking root and bringing forth fruit to thy 
praise. And let our prayers and praises be spir- 
itual sacrifices, acceptable in thy sight, through 
Jesus Christ. 

We pray, Lord, that thy presence may be in 
all Christian assemblies this day. Grace be with 
all them who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sinceri- 
ty: yea, let great grace be upon them all. Assist 
all the ministers of the Gospel, that they may 
rightly divide thy word of truth, and speak with 
plainness, fervor and success. Bless thy servant 



48 SECOND WEEK. 

on whose ministry we attend, and make him an in- 
strument of much good to our souls. Give us re- 
pentance for all our sins, and that faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ, which results in the salvation 
of the soul. 

In the chariot of the everlasting Gospel, may 
the great Redeemer ride forth triumphantly, con- 
quering and to conquer, and let every thought be 
subdued into obedience unto him. May many be 
brought to believe the report of the Gospel, and to 
many may the arm of the Lord be revealed. May 
sinners be converted to thee, and thy saints be 
built up in knowledge, faith, holiness and comfort, 
unto salvation. 

Now the God of hope fill us with joy and peace 
in believing, for Christ Jesus' sake, our blessed 
Saviour and Redeemer, who hath taught us to pray, 

Our Father, who art in heaven, &c. 



Sahhath Evening. 
0, Eternal, ever blessed and glorious Lord God! 
Thou art over all, God blessed for ever; most wise 
and powerful, holy, just and good. Thou art hap- 
py without us, and needest not our services ; nor 
can our goodness extend unto thee. But without 
thee, we are miserable ; if thy goodness extend not 



PIPvST WEEK. 49 

unto US, "we are forever undone. We, therefore, 
entreat thy favor with our vrhole heart. Thy 
loving-kinclness is better than life. 

We bewail it before thee, that by the depravity 
of our hearts, we are become odious to thine holi- 
ness, and utterly unfit to inherit the kingdom of 
God ; and we confess, that, by our many actual 
transgressions, we are become obnoxious to thy 
justice, and liable to thy wrath and curse. 

But with thee, Lord, there is mercy, and plen- 
teous redemption. Blessed be thy name, that thou 
hast graciously provided for all who truly repent 
and believe the Gospel, that the guilt of their sins 
may be removed through the merit of thy Son's 
death, and the power of them broken by his Spirit, 
We rejoice in the assurance w^e have, that he is able 
to save to the uttermost them that come unto thee 
through him, seeing that he ever liveth to make 
intercession for them. Lord, we come to thee, 
through this blessed Mediator, earnestly desiring 
by repentance and faith, to turn from the world 
and the flesh, unto thee as our God and Father in 
Jesus Christ, as our ruler and our portion. 

Let the love of the world be rooted out of us, 
and that covetousness, which is idolatry ; and let 
the love of God in Christ, be shed abroad in our 
hearts by the power of the Holy Ghost. Mortify 



60 SECOND WEEK- 

in us all envy, malice and uncliaritableness ; and 
engage us to love one another with a pure heart fer- 
vently, as becomes the followers of the blessed Je- 
sus, who has given us this as his new command- 
ment. 

May we labor less for the meat which perisheth, 
and more for that which endureth to everlasting 
life. May we be governed by that faith, which is 
the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence 
of things not seen. May we use the w^orld, so as 
not to abuse it, knowing that the world, and the 
fashion thereof, passeth away, and that we are 
passing away with it. 

Bless abundantly all the members of this family, 
and make us blessing's to each other. Whether 
parents or children, masters or servants, old or 
young ; help us faithfully to discharge the duties of 
our several stations, in an honorable, acceptable 
and useful manner ; and give us all a happy meet- 
ing at last in the house eternal in the heavens. 

We bless thee, gracious God, for the continued 
comforts of life, and particularly for all the mer- 
cies of this thine own holy day. How amiable are 
thy tabernacles, Lord of hosts ! A day in thy 
courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Bless 
the word which we have this day heard, both to 
us and to all who attended upon it. Hear the 



SECOND WEEK. 51 

prayers \Ye have offered ; accept our praises, and 
forgive whatever thy pure eye hath seen amiss in 
our attempts to serve thee. 

Bless all the ministers of thy holy word. Make 
them burnino; and shinino; lio-hts: faithful to Christ 
and the souls of men. Unite them and thy people 
together in truth and love. Pour out upon them 
a healing spirit : a spirit of charity, forbearance 
and condescension. With one consent, may they 
all study to promote the interest of our great Mas- 
ter, and the common salvation of precious souls. 

We pray for all our friends and relatives, that 
they may be the objects of thy providential care, 
and enriched with the blessings of thy heavenly 
grace. Oh that none of our friends may be ene- 
mies to God ! Bless the rising generation, and 
let them be a seed to serve thee. Let thy work, 
Lord, appear unto thy servants, and thy glory 
unto their children. 

We would also recommend to thy tender com- 
passion, the sick and afflicted, the poor and needy, 
the tempted and disconsolate, the widows and fath- 
erless. Be thou a present help unto them in every 
time of trouble. Do good unto them that are good ; 
to all the upright in heart. 

Take us under thy protection this night, and en- 
able us to close the day with thee, that we may 



52 SECOND WEEK. 

lie down in peace, and oar sleep maybe sweet. Be 
with us through the ensuing week. Enable us to 
carry into it something of this day's enjoyments, 
that we may be the better fitted for another Sab- 
bath, if we, shall live to see it. And grant that by 
all the means of grace we enjoy on earth, we may 
be made meet for the everlasting Sabbath above, 
when time and days shall be no more. 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, 
the only wise God and our Saviour, be honor and 
glory, dominion and praise, henceforth and forever. 
Amen. 



Blonday Morning. 

Lord our God, we desire with all humility and 
reverence to adore thee, as a being infinitely bless- 
ed and glorious. Thou hast all perfection in and 
of thyself, and art the fountain of all being, life 
and blessedness. It is an unspeakable privilege, 
that we have liberty of access unto thee through 
Jesus Christ, and leave to call thee our Father in 
him. Oh look upon us now, and be merciful unto 
us, as thou usest to be unto those who loved thy 
name. May we all esteem our daily worship of thee, 
the most needful part of our da^ily business, and 
the most pleasant of our daily comforts. 



SECOND WElilJK:* 53 

We humbly thank thee for the mercies of the 
past night and for the comforts of this morning. 
We have had a place to lay our heads, and have 
been shielded from harm and danger. Thanks be 
to God, that no plague has come nigh our dwelling; 
but that we are spared to behold the light and en- 
joy the comforts of another day. 

We confess we are guilty before thee. We have sin- 
ned and come short of thy glory. We are greatly 
Wanting in the duties of our particular relations. We 
are cold and defective in our love to thee, our God; 
weak in our desires toward thee ; unsteady in our 
walking with thee ; and often out of frame for thy 
service. Lord, forgive us all our sins, and be 
at peace with us, through him who died to make 
peace, and ever lives to make intercession. 

To thy care, Lord, we commit ourselves this 
day. Compass us about with thy favor, as with a 
shield. Preserve our going out and our coming in. 
Lord, keep us from all evil ; but especially from 
the evil of sin* Let us not be provoked to wrath, 
or speak unadvisedly with our lips. Dispose us to 
live together in peace and holy love; and may the 
God of love and peace be with us. Make us con- 
scientious in all our dealings, as becomes those, 
who see thine eye ever upon us. Arm us against 
every temptation ; keep us in the way of duty ; and 



54 SECOJS^I) WEEK. 

preserve us in thy fear all the day long. In eVery 
doubtful case, let our way be made plain before us^ 
and give us that vnsdom which is profitable to di- 
rect. Let integrity and uprightness preserve us j 
for we wait on thee. 

Prepare us for all the events of this day ; for 
we know not what a day may bring forth. And 
make us to stand complete in thy whole vfill. May 
ive be willing to deny ourselves, to take up our 
cross daily, and follow Christ. Fit thou us for 
death, for judgment, and for eternity. Give u^ 
grace to live every day, as those who know not but 
it may be our last. 

Plead thine own cause in the world. Build up 
thy Church, and erect the throne of the Redeemer 
on the ruins of satan's kingdom. Let the Refor^ 
mation Churches become more reformed. Sup- 
port and deliver those who suffer for righteousness 
sake. Do good to us in these United States. 
Bless all in authority. Guide the public councils, 
and overrule all affairs for thine own glory. Let 
peace and truth prevail in our day, and be preserv- 
ed to those who shall come after us. 

Be gracious unto our relatives, friends, and 
neighbors, according to their several necessities. 
Supply the wants of all thy people. Dwell in the 
families of them that fear thee, and call upon thy 



SSCONB WEEK. S6 

tiame. Forgive our enemies, and give us a right 
and charitable spirit toward all men. Visit, com- 
fort, and relieve the afflicted. Succour the tempt- 
ed; support the oppressed ; and give joy to those 
Tvho mourn in Zion. Deal with us and our family 
according to the tenor of the everlasting covenant, 
which is well ordered in all things and sure ; which 
is all our salvation and all our desire. 

Now, blessed be God for all his gifts, both of 
nature and of grace ; for those which concern this 
life and that which is to come ; especially for Jesus 
Christ, the fountain and foundation of all. Par- 
don our imperfections ; accept our services ; and 
grant us an answer of peace, for his sake who died 
for us and arose again ; and who hath taught us to 
pray, 

Oui' Father, &c. 



Monday Evening. 
Most holy, blessed, and glorious God ! whos^ 
we are, and whom we are bound to serve. Thou 
makest the outgoings of the morning and of the even- 
ing to rejoice. Through thy good hand upon us, 
have we closed another day. After the various 
employments of it, are we come together, this even- 
ings to mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, 



66 SECON33 WEEK* 

and the praises of our God, whose mercy endureth 
forever. Blessed be the Lord, who loadeth us with 
his benefits, even the God of our salvation. 

We praise thee for our bodily health and ease ; 
for comfort in our relations, and places of abode ; 
that thou hast not made the wilderness our habita- 
tion, nor the barren land our dwelling. Above all> 
we bless thee for Jesus Christ, and for his media- 
tion between God and man ; for the covenant of 
grace made with us in him, and for the exceeding 
great and glorious promises and privileges of it ; 
for the throne of thy grace, and for the liberty of 
access to it at all times in the name of Jesus, and 
for the hope of eternal life through him. 

We confess, Lord, that we have sinned against 
thee, and still daily come short of thy glory^ 
God, thou knowest our foolishness, and our sins are 
not hid from thee. Give us repentance for our 
sins of daily infirmity. Make us duly sensible of 
the evil and danger of them, and let the blood of 
Christ thy Son, cleanse us from them. Grant 
that we may this night lie down at peace with God, 
and let our souls repose in thee as their rest. We 
commit ourselves to thy care. May we dwell in 
the secret place of the Most High, and abide under 
the shadow of the Almighty. Refresh our bodies 
with rest, undisturbed with distrustful cares, or 



SECOND WEEK. 57 

disquieting fears. But especially, let our souls be 
refreslied with thy love, and the light of thy coun- 
tenance. For thy loving-kindness is better than 
life. 

Restore us to another day in safety. Prepare 
us for the duties and events of it. And by all the 
supports and comforts of life, let our bodies be 
fitted to assist our souls in thy service. x\nd do 
thou enable us to glorify thee, both with our bodies 
and with our spirits, which are thine. As every 
day brings us nearer our end, Lord, teach us so to 
number our days that we may apply our hearts to 
wisdom. Prepare us for whatever is appointed for 
us in life. Do us good by all thy providences, 
whether comfortable or afflictive. Heln us to ac- 
commodate ourselves to them, and by means of 
them all, bring us nearer to thyself, and fit us for 
the enjoyment of thee in a better world. 

Let our family be blessed in him, in whom all 
the nations of the earth are blessed. Give us 
health and prosperity, and all needful temporal 
blessings. But, especially, let our souls prosper 
and be in health. Let all who belong to us, belong 
to Christ ; that we who dwell together on earth, 
may be together forever with the Lord. 

May our country still be the care of thy Provi- 
dence. Let glory dwell in our land, and upon all 
5 



58 SECOND WEEK. 

the glorjj let there be a defence. Eule in the 
hearts of our rulers, and make them public bless- 
ings. May those who are in places of public trust 
be faithful to the public interest ; and may those 
who bear the sword, be a terror to evil doers, and 
a protection and praise to such as do well. 

Own the Christian ministry in their work. Give 
them skill, ability, and zeal to help souls to heaven. 
May the rising generation be such as thou wilt own, 
and as shall do more and better service in their 
day, than has been done in ours. Comfort and 
relieve all that are in poverty and affliction. Teach 
us to sympathize with them, and dispose us to do all 
we can for their relief. And do thou for us, abundant- 
ly above what we are able to ask or think, through 
Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousness, to whom, 
with the Father and the Eternal Spirit, be glory 
and praise now and forever. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 

Glorious Jehovah ! Thou hast thy being of thy- 
self, and thy happiness in thyself alone. We have 
our being from thee, and our happiness is only in 
thee. It is, therefore, both our duty and our in- 
terest to seek thee, to implore thy favor, and to 
give unto thee the glory due to thy name. We 



SECOND WEEK. 59 

confess, we are utterly unworthy of the honor, and 
unable for the work, of communion with thee. But 
we come to thee in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who is worthy, and depend upon the assis- 
tance of thy blessed Spirit to work all our work in 
us. 

Thou art good, and thy tender mercies are over 
all thy works ; and thou art continually doing us 
good, though we are evil and unthankful. We 
have rested during the past night, and are refresh- 
ed, whilst many have been tossed to and fro till 
the dawning of the day. We have a safe and 
quiet habitation, while many are forced to wander 
and lie exposed. One day tells another, and one' 
night certifies to another, that thou art good, and 
never failest those that seek thee, and trust in thee. 
We thankfully own thy goodness to us, and ac- 
knowledge ourselves to be less than the least of all 
the mercy and truth thou hast shewed us. 

Above all, we bless thee for the gifts of thy 
grace to lost and miserable sinners in and through 
thy dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We praise 
thee, that, having laid down his life to make atone- 
ment for sin, he arose again for our justification, 
that he might bring in an everlasting righteous- 
ness. We bless thee, that our eyes see the light, 
and our ears hear the joyful sound of redemption 



60 SECOND WEEK. 

by him, and of that life and immortality brought 
to light by the Gospel. Glory be to God in the 
highest, that there is on earth peace, and good- 
will toward men. Oh grant us wisdom and grace, 
that we may rightly understand the Gospel, firmly 
believe it, and cheerfully obey it ; that so we may 
be savingly interested in the blessings which it re- 
veals. 

Through him, who was made sin for us, though 
he knew no sin, let us sinners be accepted as right- 
eous. And as Christ died for our sins, we pray 
that we may be dying daily to them. May we 
also experience in our souls the power and virtue 
of his resurrection. May we rise with him from 
the death of sin, to the life of righteousness; from 
the dust of this world to a holy, spiritual, divine, 
and heavenly life. Give us grace, we pray thee, 
to live a life of communion with thee, both in prov- 
idences and ordinances, and a life of dependence 
upon thee, at all times trusting in thy power, prov- 
idence, and promises, and pouring out our hearts 
before thee. Enable us, also, to live a life of de- 
votedness to thee, and of complacency in thee. 
May we set the Lord always before us; aim at thy 
glory as our highest end, and make religion not 
only our chief business, but also our highest plea- 
sure. 



SECOND WEEK, 61 

Preserve its, we beseech thee, in our integrity 
to our dying day. Oh may we never forsake or 
forget thee ! But, with purpose of heart, may we 
cleave unto the Lord, and not count life itself dear 
to us, so that we may finish our course with honor 
and joy. Let thy good Providence order all the 
circumstances of our dvino*, so as best to befriend 
our comfortable removal hence ; and while we are 
here, make us wiser and better every day ; more 
weaned from this world, more willing to leave it, 
and more fit for another and better. 

Bless us, Lord, as a family, with every thing 
suited to our several circumstances and wants. 
Give us all wisdom to know the duties of our sev- 
eral characters and stations, and make us faithful 
in the performance of them. Be gracious to all 
who are related to us, or in any wise connected 
with us. Pity and relieve the children of affliction, 
and be a present help to ail thy people in every 
season of distress. To thy providential care we 
eommit ourselves and each other for the day ensu- 
ing. Preserve us from every danger, fortify us 
against every temptation, assist us in every duty, 
and graciously accept us in thy dear Son, to whom, 
with thee, the Father, and the Eternal Spirit, be 
glory and praise now and foreyer. Amen. 



62 SECOND WEEK. 

Tuesday Evening. 

GoDj the infinite and eternal Spirit ! most 
perfect in power, wisdom and goodness. Though 
mortal eyes cannot behold thee, nor any created 
understanding comprehend thee, thou art ever 
present "with us, andseest the secrets of our hearts. 
All our sins and all our wants are known to thee. 
But thou wisely requirest our confessions, as the 
exercise of our repentance, and our petitions and 
thanksgivings, as the expressions of our desires, 
dependence, and gratitude. We confess our unfit- 
ness for such converse w^ith thee. thou, w^hose 
mercy invites miserable sinners to come unto thee, 
by the new and living way, meet us not in thy 
justice, as a consuming fire, but accept us in thy 
righteous and beloved Son. 

We ought to have served thee v/ith our whole 
hearts, and to have employed our time, our 
thoughts, our tongues, and all our powers, for thy 
glory and the good of men. But, alas ! we have 
often trifled in thy worship, and hypocritically 
served thee with our lips alone, and have taken 
thy dreadful name in vain. Our thoughts have 
been guilty of vanity, folly, and impurity ; our 
tongues, of idle, wrathful, and injurious words. We 
have not loved our neighbor as ourselves, nor 
sought each other's welfare, temporal or spiritual, 



SECOND WEEK. 68 

with that zeal and affection, which our relation to 
each other, and thy love to us required. We have 
unprofitably abused thy talents, and done but little 
good in the world, in comparison with what we 
might have done. 

But deal with us, Lord, not according to our 
deserts, but according to our necessity, and thy 
great goodness. Where sin hath abounded, let 
thy grace much more abound. There is enough in 
the merits of thy Son's obedience and sacrifice to 
expiate our guilt, and justify penitent believers in 
thy sight. We would, therefore, encourage our- 
selves in the Lord our God, and cheerfully rely 
upon thy pardoning mercy. 

And while in the exercise of faith, we earnestly 
implore the forgiveness of our past sins, we desire 
cheerfully to return to thee, in the way of our duty, 
and humbly give ourselves up to thee, as our God, 
our Father, our Saviour and our Sanctifier, be- 
seeching thee to receive us upon the terms of thy 
covenant of grace. Renew and sanctify us by thy 
Spirit. Take from us the heart of stone, and give 
us hearts of flesh. Impart to us a divine and 
heavenly nature, and transform us into the image 
of thy holiness. Enable us to devote ourselves, 
and all that thou givest us, entirely to thee as thine 
own. Bring all the powers of our souls and bodies 
into a full subjection to thy government. 



64 SECOND WEEK. 

Keep us, we beseech tliee, from every thing in 
our words and actions, by which we should dishon- 
or thy name and grieve thy Spirit. Quicken and 
animate us in every duty, whether personal, rela- 
tive, or divine. And help us to spend this transi- 
tory life in a diligent preparation for death and 
eternity. Let our hearts and our conversation be 
in heaven. Be with us through all the changing 
scenes of life, and Oh, forsake us not in our last 
extremity, but give us hope in a dying hour, and 
take our departing spirits to be with Christ. 

Set up thy glory, Lord, above the heavens? 
and let thy name be sanctified in all the earth. 
Convert the infidel and heathen world to the faith 
of thy Son. Give wise and upright rulers to the 
nations ; and let the Gospel of Jesus Christ go forth 
as the sun, to enlighten the whole world. Reform 
the Churches which are dark and corrupt. Break 
down every thing which keeps out knowledge, ho- 
liness and peace. Preserve and bless the Church- 
es which are reformed, especially in these United 
States. Make our rulers faithful to their trust, 
that they may seek the true prosperity of their 
country. Teach thou our teachers. Give all thy 
churches faithful and able pastors, and abundant- 
ly succeed their labors, that their hearers may be 
fruitful in knowledge and holiness, peace and char- 
ity. 



SECOND WEEK. 66 

Bless all the members of this family, together 
with all who are near and dear to us, both in body 
and soul ; and help us to serve each other in love. 
We thankfully acknowledge thy fatherly goodness 
manifested to us this day. Be pleased to contin- 
ue it through the night watches. Give us such rest 
of body and mind, as may fit us for the day ensu= 
ing. We ask all in the name of Jesus Christ, our 
only Saviour and Mediator. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning, 

Thou, Lord, art the great fountain of being 
and happiness. As from thee our beings were de- 
rived, so from thee our happiness directly flows. 
The nearer v/e are to thee, the more pure and de- 
licious is the stream. With thee is the fountain of 
life ; in thy light may we see light. The great 
object of our final hope is to dwell with thee forev- 
er. Oh give us some fortaste of that delight. 
Grant us, we beseech thee, the blessedness of the 
man who feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly 
in his commands. So form our hearts by thy grace, 
that, from day to day, we may set thee, Lord, be- 
fore us, and be in thy fear all the day long. 

With hearts filled with gratitude, would we, this 
morning, praise thee for past mercies, and, in the 



66 SECOND WEEK. 

exercise of a lively faith, would we implore fresh 
blessings, which every returning day requires. 
We desire with cheerfulness daily to renew the 
dedication of ourselves to thee, through Jesus thy 
beloved Son; and with attention and pleasure to 
read and hearken to the instructions of thy Holy 
Word, that we may know what thou wouldst have 
us to do. Enable us to hide thy word in our hearts 
that we may not sin against thee, and earnestly to 
seek fresh supplies of thy blessed Spirit, whose in- 
fluences are the life of our souls, that we may be 
quickened in all the duties it enjoins. 

Being thus prepared, do thou, Lord, lead us 
forth to all the duties and events of the day. In 
the callings to which thou hast directed us, may 
we abide with thee: not being slothful in business, 
but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Teach us 
the value of time, and enable us always to improve 
it to the best advantage, in such duties as thou 
hast assigned us. To thy glory, Lord, may the 
labors of life be pursued, and to thy glory may the 
refreshments of it be sought and enjoyed. Wheth- 
er we eat or drink, or whatever we do, may that | 
end be still kept in view, and may it be attained. ' 
May every refreshment and release from business 
prepare us to serve thee with greater vigor and 
resolution. 



SECOND WEEK. 67 

Keep us, Lord, we pray thee, from the tempta- 
tions to which we are daily exposed ; or, if thou 
sufferest us to enter into temptation, do thou deliv- 
er us from evil. Make us sensible of our weak- 
ness, that our hearts may be raised to thee for 
needed supplies of strength. When we are en- 
gaged in the society of others, may it be our de- 
sire and care, that we may do and receive as much 
good as possible. May all companies and all per- 
sons be the better of us. May we be solicitous 
daily to be answering the great purposes of life, by 
honoring thee and diffusing knowledge and happi- 
ness in the world. Like our blessed Master, may we 
go a.bout doing good. When we are alone, may 
we remember that our heavenly Father is with us. 
May we enjoy the pleasure of thy presence, and 
feel the animating power of it, awakening our souls 
to an earnest desire to think and act as in thy 
sight. 

Help us, Lord, to spend this day, and every 
day of our lives, in the view of our last, and so as 
to fit us for it. If death comes by a slow advance, 
may it at length find us still thus employed. And 
if we should be called on a sudden to exchange 
worlds, may our last days and hours be so spent, 
as to furnish no occasion for remorse or fear. 
Whenever, however, we are called from this state 



68 SECOND WEEK. 

of trial, may we have a sweet and easy passage 
from the services of time, to the infinitely nobler 
services of an immortal state. We ask it through 
him, who, while on earth, was the fairest pattern 
of every virtue, and who now lives and reigns with 
thee, able to save to the uttermost. To him, hav- 
ing done all, we would fly, with the most humble 
acknowledgment, that we are unprofitable servants. 
And unto Him, with the Father and the Spirit, be 
glory for ever and ever. Amen. 



Wednesday Evening. 

Blessed God, we humbly adore thee as the 
father of lights, and the giver of every good and 
perfect gift. From thee we seek every blessing, 
and especially those which may lead us to thyself, 
and prepare us for the enjoyment of thee. 

May we, Lord, be renewed in the spirit of our 
minds. A new heart do thou give us, and a right 
spirit do thou put within us. Make us partakers 
of a divine nature ; and as thou who hast called us 
art holy, may we be holy in all manner of conver- 
sation. May the same mind be in us which was also 
in Christ Jesus, and may we walk even as he walk- 
ed. Deliver us from being carnally minded, which 
is death, and make us spiritually minded, since that 



SECOND WEEK. 69 

is life and peace. While we pass through this 
world of sense, enable us to walk by faith and not 
by sight ; yea, may we be strong in faith, giving 
glory to God. 

Teach us, Lord, seriously to consider the na- 
ture of our own souls, and to set a suitable value 
upon them. May we labor not only, or chiefly, 
for the meat that perisheth, but for that which en- 
dureth to eternal life. Help us to cherish and to 
exercise all the personal graces of the Spirit in our 
minds. May we humble ourselves under thy migh- 
ty hand, and be clothed with humility ; decked with 
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which, in 
the sight of God, is of great price. May we be 
found among the pure in heart, who are so blessed 
as to see God. Help us to mortify our members 
which are in the earth, so that we may be willing 
to part with the lusts that are as dear to us as a 
right hand or eye. May we be temperate in all 
things, content with such things as we have, and 
instructed to be so in whatever state we are. May 
patience also have its perfect work in us, that we 
may be in that respect perfect and entire, wanting 
nothing. 

Form us, Lord, we beseech thee, to a proper 
temper towards our fellow-creatures. May we love 
our neighbor as ourselves, and whatsoever we 



70 SECOND WEEK. 

would that others should do unto us, may we also 
do the same unto them. May we put on meekness 
under the greatest provocations ; and, if it be pos- 
sible, as much as lieth in us, may we live peaceably 
with all men. May we be merciful as our Father 
in heaven is merciful. May we ever speak the 
truth from our hearts, and speak it in love ; guard- 
ing against every instance of a censorious and ma- 
lignant disposition ; and taking care not to judge 
severely, as we would not be judged, which thou. 
Lord, knowest, and our own consciences know, we 
should not be able to support. 

Make us ever attentive to the duties incumbent 
upon us, as members of civil society, and of the 
Church of Christ, that we may give no offence. 
Enable us to conduct ourselves wisely and well as 
members of a Christian family. May the heads of 
the family walk before their house in a perfect way, 
commanding their children and household after 
them to keep the ways of the Lord. May the chil- 
dren of the family obey their parents in the Lord, 
love one another, and remenaber thee their Creator 
now in the days of their youth. 

Thus may the blessing of God, the Father and 
Lord of all, rest continually upon us for good. 
Thus may the image of our dear Redeemer shine 
bright in our characters ; and thus may we be form- 



SECOND WEEK. 71 

ed to a growing meetness for that world where he 
dwells, and where we shall be completely like him, 
because we shall see him as he is. 

We ask all in his name, who hath loved us, and 
given himself for us, that he might redeem us unto 
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, 
unto whom be ascribed glory and honor, salvation 
and praise, now and forever. Ameis. 



TJiUTBday Morning, 

Almighty, all seeing, and most gracious God ! 
who hast created us and all things for thy glory. 
We sinful worms of the earth, encouraged by thine 
own command and promise, and by the mediation 
of thine own Son, do humbly cast ourselves down 
before thee, to acknowledge thy mercies, to confess 
our sins, supplicate thy favor, and to tender thee 
our service. 

We thank thee that thou hast made us reasona- 
ble creatures. Oh form our souls to know, and 
love, and serve thee on earth, and to enjoy ever- 
lasting happiness in thy glory above. We bless 
thee, that vre, who were conceived in sin, and who, 
in our fleshly state, were enemies to thee by wicked 
works, were not left, like the fallen angels, to help- 
less despair ; but that we have an all sufficient Sa- 



72 SECOND weii:k. 

viour given us by thy love, who hath redeemed us 
by his blood and conferred a free pardon and title 
to life in his covenant of grace, upoa all who heart- 
ily accept him as their Lord and Saviour. 

We praise thee for his blessed Gospel ; for his 
spotless example, and for his Holy Spirit promised 
to all true believers. We thank thee for our birth 
and education, our health and friends, our peace 
and liberty, and for all the comforts of this life. 
We thank thee for our public instructions and pri- 
vate helps; for the comforts of thy worship, and all 
the means of salvation. But especially would we 
bless thee, if thou hast blessed any of them for our 
good. Adored be thy name, that thou didst not 
give us over to the blindness of our own minds, the 
hardness of our hearts, and the dominion of oar 
fleshly wills and desires. 

We cannot think of thy love to us, without, at 
the same time, recalling to mind our unworthiness 
and ingratitude. Our depraved nature was the 
fruitful source of manifold iniquities in our lives. 
Our earliest years were spent too much in folly and 
sensualit}''. How long did we forget God, our 
souls, and our everlasting state ! How long did 
we live in ignorance and unbelief ; following divers 
lusts and vanities, and resisting thy blessed Spirit, 
which moved us to repent and turn to thee. 



SECOND WEEK. 73 

G Lord, enter not into judgment with us. For- 
give us, "We beseech thee, for his sake, who is the 
propitiation for our sins. Charge not upon us the 
sins of our hearts or our lives ; of our youthful 
days, or our riper years ; our sins of omission or 
commission. Wash us in the blood, and accept us 
through the merits of our blessed Redeemer. 

Let our hearts be sincere in consenting to his 
covenant ; and by a lively faith, may we become 
one with him our living head. Let us receive the 
continual communications of his enlightening, 
quickening and sanctifying Spirit, without which 
our souls are dark, dead and polluted. Qh give 
us this Spirit to dwell in us, to fill our hearts with 
holy life ; to form us to a new and holy nature, 
that we may die unto sin and livaunto thee. Give 
us thy Spirit to fill us with holy light, that we may 
know thee in Christ, may understand thy word, 
and believe thy truth. Give us thy Spirit to fill 
us with holy love, that our whole desire may be to 
thee, and our whole heart delight in thee. Regu- 
late our thoughts, words and actions by thy word ; 
and govern our appetites and passions by thy grace^ 
that they may not hinder, but further us in thy 
service. 

Teach us to behave aright in our several stations, 
whether as superiors, inferiors, or equals, that we 
6 



74 SECOND WEEK, 

may have comfort, and be useful in them. Mer- 
cifully dispose of our persons, our friends, and all 
our affairs for the best. Protect and provide for 
our bodies. Make us contented with our daily 
bread, and patient, if we should suffer want. 

Be merciful, God, to all the afflicted. Give 
such seasonable deliverance to the sick, the oppress- 
ed, and broken hearted, as shall be most for their 
good, for that of others, and for thy glory. Con- 
tinue thy Gospel to thy churches. Furnish them 
with skillful, holy, and diligent pastors, and bless 
the labors of such to the increase of holiness, love 
and peace. Bless all in authority* Teach them 
to govern, and us to obey, as the subjects of the 
King of kings. Deliver deceived and oppress- 
ed nations, especially those professing Christianity^ 
from tyranny and error. Subdue the powers that 
rebel against thee, and let the kingdoms of the 
world, become the kingdoms of Christ. Open a 
way for the Gospel to them. Send them teachers 
fitted for so great a work and crown their labors with 
success, that thus thy name may be hallowed, thy 
kingdom may come, and thy will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread, &c. 



SECOND WEEK. 75 

Thursday Evening. 

Eternal and incomprehensible God : who dwell- 
est in light which no man can approach, where 
thousands of thousands minister unto thee. We 
adore thee, that thou also dwellest on earth, with 
the humble and contrite, and hast consecrated for 
us a new and living way, that with boldness we 
may enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus^ 
and hast bid us to seek thee whilst thou mayest be 
found. We are here come unto thee at thy call, 
to w^orship at thy footstool. Behold us in thy 
tender mercies, and let the words of our mouths 
and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in 
thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Thou, God, art holy and hatest the workers 
of iniquity. Thou hast appointed death as the 
wages of sin. But, to exalt thy mere;/, thou hast 
sent thy Son to be the Saviour of the world, and 
hast promised forgiveness of sins through his blood, 
to all who believe on him, and by true repentance 
return unto thee. Lord, we confess that we are 
vile and miserable sinners. We have all gone 
astray from thee, every one in his own way. In- 
stead of living wholly to thy glory, and obeying 
thy will in all things, we have sought to please 
ourselves, minding the things of the flesh, and 
making provision for the lusts thereof. Lord, our 



76 SECOND WEEK. 

transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our f 
sins testify against us. We are not worthy to be 
called thy children ; but have deserved thy wrath. 
In sinning against thee, we have sinned against 
our own souls. To us belongeth confusion of face; 
but unto thee, belongeth mercy and forgiveness. 

Have mercy upon us, God ! pardon our iniqui- 
ties, and heal all our diseases. Wash us in the 
blood of the Lamb, which taketh away the sins of 
the world, and accept us through him. Grant us 
repentance unto life. Cause us to loathe ourselves 
for our sins, and give us those broken and contrite 
spirits, which thou wilt not despise. Enlighten 
our understandings, to know the wonderful things 
of thy law, and the riches of thy grace in Jesus 
Christ. Put thy fear and thy love in our hearts, 
that we may never depart from thee. 

Teach us to live by faith, and thus to live above 
the world, while we are in it, and to use the world 
as not abusing it. Let us not pass the rest of our 
time after the lusts of men, but after the will of 
God, striving to enter in at the strait gate, doing 
the work of him that sent us. Help us to walk 
circumspectly and without offence, redeeming the 
time, because the days are few and evil. Make 
us zealous of good works ; taking up our cross, and 
following Christ Jesus our Lord^ that^ having suf- 



SECOND WEEK. 77 

fered with him, we may also be glorified with him. 

By thy gracious hand, Lord, rule and protect 
the land in which we dwell. Bless our president, 
and the governors of the several States. Grant 
them the spirit of wisdom and counsel of holiness 
and the fear of the Lord. Guide them with thy 
Holy Spirit. Enrich them with thy heavenly 
grace, and make them blessings in their generations. 
Grant unto the great council of the nation, the 
judges and all the magistrates of the land, that 
wisdom which is from above, that they may rule in 
thy fear and judge righteously. 

Give all the churches able, holy and faithful 
pastors, who may honestly and diligently preach 
thy word, and guide thy flock in the way of thy 
truth, holiness, and peace. Bless our land with 
the fruits of the earth in their season. Preserve 
us from sickness, from the mischievous contrivan- 
ces of the wicked, from civil discord and every 
other evil. Shew pity to the afflicted, and sancti- 
fy thy fatherly chastisements. Be a friend to all 
our friends, and help them and us to perform all 
the mutual offices of friendship. May all the 
members of our family be members of Christ, and 
finally dwell together in thy kingdom. 

Accept, most gracious God, our thanksgiving, 
for that goodness which has protected us, and pro- 



78 SECOND WEEK. 

vided for us during the past day. Give us such a 
deep sense of thy manifold mercies, as shall awaken 
our gratitude, constrain us to better obedience, and 
encourage our constant trust in thy providence and 
grace. May goodness and mercy still follow us 
all our days. We commit ourselves afresh to thee, 
and beg thy care over us through the watches of 
this night, that no evil may come nigh our persons 
or our dwelling. Hear, Lord, we beseech thee, 
these our prayers and praises, through the merits 
and intercession of Jesus Christ our only Lord and 
Saviour. Amen. 



Friday 3Iornmg. 
Blessed and glorious God ! thou art the King 
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, of 
whom, through whom, and to w^hom are all things ; 
the Father of mercies, and the God of all grace. 
We are not worthy of the least of all thy blessings ; 
and yet how large a share have we had of them ! 
Open thou our lips, and oar mouth shall show forth 
thy praise. We are thy creatures, Lord, whose 
hands have made and fashioned us. Thou art the 
Father of our spirits and the former of our bodies. 
We bless thee, that thou hast made us after thine 
own image, but a little lower than the angels, and 
crowned us with glory and with honor ; that thou 



SECOND WEEK. ^9 

hast taught us more than the beasts of the field, 
and made us wiser than the fowls of the air. Help 
us to worship and serve thee, the Lord our Maker. 
May all those powers by which thou hast distin- 
guished us from the rest of thy creatures, be de- 
voted to thy service and employed for thine honor. 

We praise thee, that we were born in a land en- 
joying the Gospel, and not in the region and shad- 
ow of death. We would be particularly thankful 
that we were born of pious parents, or have been 
cast in the families of those professing the Gospel, 
who were concerned to bring us up in the nurture 
and admonition of the Lord. We bless thee for 
their repeated instructions, faithful admonitions, 
seasonable corrections, hoH example, and affection- 
ate prayers. our God, grant that all may not 
be in vain, and that wt may not be, after all, cum- 
berers of thy ground. Water all these means with 
thy heavenly influences, and make us fruitful in 
every good word and work. 

Make us more thankful for all thy mercies, and 
help us not only to speak, but to live thy praise. 
We lament our past ingratitude. Vf hat unsuita- 
ble returns have we made for that goodness of 
thine, which has followed us all our days ! We 
earnestly implore thy pardoning mercy, through 
the great Mediator, and would earnestly entreat 



so SECOND WEEK. 

thy quickening influence, that we may love thee 
more and serve thee better. Oh grant us the con- 
tinued supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that 
we may give all diligence to add to our faith virtue, 
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, broth- 
erly kindness and charity. May these things not 
only be in us, but abound, that we may not be un- 
fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

Help us to put on the whole armor of God, that 
we may stand against the wiles of the devil, and 
withstand in the evil day. Keep us from the evil 
of the world, and give us that faith which will 
overcome it. Teach us our duty in all parts, and 
make us complete in all the will of God. Help us 
to walk in all the statutes and ordinances of the 
Lord blameless. Enable us daily to consider our 
latter end, and diligently to prepare for death and 
eternity. Let us not presume upon long life, or 
talk of goods laid up for many years, since we know 
not how soon our souls may be required of us. 
Lord, so teach us to number our days, that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Whatsoever our 
hand findeth to do, may we do it with all our might, 
since there is no work, nor knowledge, nor device 
in the grave, whither we are going. 

And now. Lord, what wait we for ? Our hope 
is in thee. Let thine ears be open unto the suppli- 



SECOND WEEK. 81 

cations of thy servants. Accept our acknowledg- 
ments for the mercies of the past night. Take 
care of us through this day. Fit us for the duties 
and trials of every day, and Oh, prepare us for 
our last. All which w^e beg in the name, and 
through the mediation of the Lord Jesus, w^ho has 
taught us to pray after this manner, 
Our Father, &c. 



Friday Evening. 

THOU, whose name alone is Jehovah ! the 
most high God over all the earth ; we come be- 
fore thee, this evening to seek thy favor and im- 
plore thy blessing. Look down upon us in mercy. 
Let thy Spirit help our infirmities. Give ear unto 
our voice, Lord, and consider our meditation. 

We confess that we are utterly unworthy of the 
least of thy mercies. We are vile. What shall we 
answer thee ? The imagination of our hearts has 
been evil from our youth. How early did pride, 
anger, envy, revenge, self-will, and other unruly 
appetites, appear in our lives. Oh remember not 
the sins of our youth, nor our later transgressions ; 
for we must confess our guilt has increased with 
our years. We have walked too much after the 
way of our ow^n hearts, and in the sight of our own 
eyes. Our iniquities, moreover, are highly ag- 



82 SECOND WEEK. 

gravated, in that they have been committed against 
light and conviction ; against promises, vows, and 
manifold experience ; against great grace and love. 
Lord, we abhor ourselves, and repent in dust and 
ashes. We have no merit to plead ; but cast our- 
selves upon thy sovereign mercy in the Redeemer. 
Let us experience the bounty and compassion of 
thy nature. We plead the blood of atonement. 
We have sinned, but Christ has died. Oh justify 
us freely through the redemption that is in him. 

Do thou also heal and sanctify our nature. Help 
us to put off the old man, which is corrupt ; and to 
put on the new man, which after God is created in 
righteousness and true holiness. Enlighten our 
minds, and grant us the spirit of wisdom and reve- 
lation in the knowledge of Christ. Open our eyes, 
that we may behold wondrous things out of thy 
law, and be filled with the knowledge of thy will 
in all spiritual understanding. Give us faithful 
consciences, which shall smite us when we do evil, 
and teach us to submit to their reproof. Subdue 
our wills, cast down lofty imaginations, and bring 
every thought in subjection to Christ. Help us to 
set our affections on things above, where Christ 
sitteth at the right hand of God. And may the 
God of peace sanctify us wholly, and grant that 
our whole spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved 
blameless until the coming of Christ. 



SECOND WEEK. 83 

As thou requirest prayer and thanksgiving to be 
made for all men, we would remember the cases of 
others before thee. Shower down, Lord, thy 
blessings upon the inhabitants of the world. Give 
thy Son, the heathen for his inheritance, and the 
uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. 
Be favorable to the land in which we dwell. Let 
thy providence be our defence, and thy presence, 
our glory. 

Bless the ministers of thy word. Make them 
faithful and successful. Clothe them with salvation, 
that thy saints may shout aloud for joy. Be with 
those especially under whose ministry we are pla- 
ced. Enable them to speak the things which be- 
come sound doctrine. Help us to profit by their 
endeavors, and grant that we may be their joy and 
crown in the presence of Christ at his coming. 

May thy blessing rest on this family, and thy 
light shine on our tabernacle. May the heads of 
the family be zealous in their endeavors for the 
good of those committed to their care. May the 
children of the family be their rejoicing, by walk- 
ing in thy truth. Help them to flee youthful lusts, 
and to remember thee, their Creator. 

Bless all our relatives, friends, and acquaintan- 
ces, with all good things, and especially with all 
spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Graciously 



84 SECOND WEEK. 

pity the afflicted ; succor the tempted ; provide 
for the poor ; and be a present help to all in the 
time of trouble. 

We bless thee for the mercies of this day, that 
no evil has befallen us in it. Pardon the sins of it, 
in our thoughts, words, and actions. Take us un- 
der thy protection this night, and in the morning, 
raise us again to hear the voice of health and glad- 
ness. We ask all in the name of our adorable 
Mediator and Advocate. Amejst. 



Saturday Morning. 

LORD our God, unto thee would we lift up 
our souls. Quicken us to call upon thy name. 
Assist us by thy Spirit in our access to thy mercy 
seat, and raise our hearts to^thyself. Teach us to 
approach thee, as becometh creatures, and do thou 
draw nigh'unto us as a God of grace. 

We confess, that we are sinners, and as such 
unworthy of thy favor and love. Our iniquities 
have increased over our heads, and our trespasses 
have reached up to the heavens. We will lay our 
hands upon our mouths, and our mouths in the 
dust, if so there may be hope. Gracious God, we 
humbly beseech thee, to take away the guilt of our 
sins, through the atonement of thy Son. Justify 
our persons through his righteousness, and subdue 



SECOND WEEK. 85 

the power of our iniquities by thy Spirit. Deliver 
us from the natural darkness of our minds ; from 
the corruption of our hearts, and the perverse ten- 
dency of our appetites and passions. May the 
Spirit discover to us the evil and danger of sin ; 
enlicrhten our minds in the knowled2:e of God in 
Jesus Christ, and sanctify all the powers of our 
nature. Form our hearts according to thy will, 
and after the image of thy Son. Be thou our light 
and our strength, and quicken us in the paths of 
holy obedience* Fortify us against the temptations, 
and free us from the snares which daily attend us. 
While we are in this life, we are in continual dan- 
ger* Let the watchful eye of our God be upon us 
for our defence. Save us from the power of our 
enemies in this world, and from the punishment 
due to our sins in the world to come* 

Preserve the Gospel among us, and let all the 
means of grace be continued to us, and be made 
servicable for the great ends of their appointment. 
Let all thy providences be sanctified to us. May 
thy mercies, as cords of love, draw us nearer to 
thyself ; and let the strokes of thine afflicting hand 
wean us from sin, mortify us to this world, and 
make us ready for our departure hence, whensoev- 
er thou art pleased to call us. Guide us by thy 
counsels, and secure us by thy grace in all our 



86 SECOND WEEK, 



travels through this dangerous wilderness ; and at 
last, give us the victory over death, and a triumph- 
ant entrance into the kingdom of thy glory. 

While we are here in the body, give such things 
as are necessary to support our lives, and to make 
them easy and comfortable to us. Let our healthy 
our strength, and our peace be maintained^ and let 
holiness to the Lord be inscribed upon them all, 
that whatever we receive from thy hands may be 
improved to thine honor and our truest advantage. 

We pray thee to enlarge the borders of thy Son's 
kingdom. Spread the Gospel among the heathen, 
and make the name of Christ glorious from the 
rising to the setting sun. Call in the remainder of 
thine ancient people the Jews, with the fulness of 
the GentileSj into thy Church. Pour down a more 
abundant measure of thy Spirit to carry on thine 
own work upon earth. May his influences be dif- 
fused in plentiful degrees upon churches^ upon min- 
isters, upon families, and upon all the saints. De- 
liver those w^ho suffer from persecuting powers* 
Restrain the wrath of man, and cause it to praise 
thee. 

We pray for the nation to which we belong, that 
liberty and peace may be established and flourish 
in it. Bless our governors, supreme and subordi- 
nate, with wisdom and faithfulness, to manage the 



SECOND WEEK. 87 

affairs with which thou hast entrusted them* We pray 
for our friends and relatives, that thou wouldst de- 
liver them from all the evils they feel or fear, and 
bestow upon them all the good we vfish for our- 
selves, here or hereafter. 

We give thee humble and hearty thanks for all 
thy mercies vouchsafed to mankind in general, and 
to ourselves in particular ; especially for the safety 
and refreshment of the past night. May the same 
good providence defend us through the hours of 
this day, and may thy grace assist us in all the du- 
ties of it. Hear and answer us, pardon, accept, 
and bless us, for thy mercy's sake in Jesus Christ, 
through whom, by one Spirit, be ascribed to the 
only living and true God, everlasting praises. 
Amen. 



Saturday Evening. 

Most high and most holy Grod ! we, who are but 
dust and ashes, would take upon us to speak to thy 
sacred majesty. Wilt thou pardon our unworthi- 
ness and help our infirmities. Hearken to the 
voice of our cry, our King and our God, unto 
whom we would pray. 

Vfe adore thee as the first and the last, the 
greatest and the best of beings, the only true and 
living God, whose glorious name is exalted above 



88 SECOND WEEK. 

all blessing and praise. With gratitude and joy^ 
we acknowledge thy relation to uSj as our Creator^ 
our Redeemer^ our King, our Almighty Friend^ 
our reconciled God and Father in Jesus Christ* 
We praise thee for thine original designs of love to 
fallen man. Blessed, for ever blessed, be thy 
name, that though fallen angels were suffered to 
perish without a Saviour, thou didst not permit the 
fallen race of man to remain in its ruined condition 
without providing for it a remedy. We praise thee 
that thou didst reveal this mercy, in various types 
and promises, to our fathers by the prophets, and 
that in thine own appointed time, thou didst send 
thy Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to redeem 
us by his death. We give glory to thy justice and 
thy grace, for this work of terror and compassion, 
in reconciling sinners to thyself by the sufferings 
of thine only begotten and well-beloved Son. 

We praise thee for the Gospel which thou hast 
published to the world, the Gospel of pardon and 
of peace ; and that thou hast confirmed it by such 
abundant testimonies to raise and establish our 
faith. We give glory to that power of thine, which 
has guarded thy Gospel in all ages ; and through 
all the oppositions of its enemies, inearth and hell, 
hast delivered it down to us, and proclaimed its 
glad-tidings in our age and nation. We bless thee, 



SECOND WEEK. 89 

that we were born in such a land of light as this, 
in which thou hast built habitations for thyself, 
wherein we have enjoyed the privilege of attending 
thy solemn worship, of beholding thy glory and 
thy grace, and of being instructed in the way of 
salvation. 

Thanks to thy goodness for the preservation of our 
lives, amidst all the dangers which have threaten- 
ed us. Especially would we praise thee, that thou 
didst not cut us off in a state of nature and sin ; 
that our portion is not at this time among the 
children of wrath and despair, and that, notwith- 
standing our shameful abuse of our distinguished 
mercies, we are still in the land of the living and 
of hope. Thanks be to thy name, that we not 
only still enjoy so many of the conveniences and 
comforts of this life, but that the means of grace 
and salvation are still near unto us ; that thou art 
yet inviting us to look unto Jesus and be saved, 
and that to the calls of thy word and providence, 
thou art pleased to add the calls of thy Spirit in 
our hearts. 

Oh that the goodness of God may effectually 
lead us to repentance, and that thy long-suffering 
may prove our salvation ! God forbid, that our 
distinguished privileges should finally prove distin- 
guished aggravations of our guilt and misery. 
7 



90 SECOND AVEEK. 

May we be induced, by the mercies of the Lord, to 
present our bodies and souls living sacrifices, holy 
and acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ, 
which is our most reasonable service. Under a 
sense of thy past goodness in general, and especial- 
ly on a review of the mercies of the past day and 
week, we desire, our heavenly Father, to dedi- 
cate ourselves afresh to thee. We are not our 
own, but thine. May we be entirely devoted to 
thy service, and enabled to glorify thee, both with 
our bodies and our spirits, which are thine. 

Guard us against harm and danger during the 
silent hours of the night. Prepare us all, we be- 
seech thee, for the services of thy house on the 
ensuing day, and render them pleasant and profit- 
able to us, and to our fellow-worshippers. Assist 
all thy ministers in leading the worship of thy sanc- 
tuary, and in delivering the truths of the everlast- 
ing Gospel ; and command thy blessing out of Zion, 
even life for evermore. And Oh grant that the 
glad tidings of the Gospel which we hear, may be 
proclaimed through the whole earth, that all flesh 
may know the salvation of the Lord. We beseech 
thee to accept these our prayers, and solemn vows, 
through the w^orthy name of thy dear Son, to whom, 
as the Lamb that was slain, to redeem us unto God 
by his blood, be glory and dominion forever. 
Amen. 



THIRD WEEK. 91 

THIRD WEEK, 

Sahhatli Morning. 

Most glorious God, and merciful Father, in our 
Lord Jesus Christ ! we beseech thee to look 
down with pity upon thy unworthy creatures, who 
are this morning of thine own day, drawing near 
the footstool of thy throne of grace. 

We bless thee that thou hast preserved us from 
all dangers through the past week, and the past 
night ; that thou hast lengthened out our time, and 
that thou art now giving us another Sabbath ; a 
new opportunity to repent, and to make our call- 
ing and election sure. As thou hast awakened our 
bodies from sleep. Lord awaken our souls from sin 
and spiritual slothfulness. As thou hast caused 
the light of this day to shine upon our bodies, cause 
the light of thy word and Spirit to illuminate our 
dark minds. And as thou addest new days and 
new Sabbaths to our lives, we pray that thou 
wouldst add new grace and strength to our souls, 
that we may serve thee acceptably therein. 

Help us to remember that every Sabbath, every 
sermon, every prayer, sets us a step nearer either 
to heaven or hell. Under this awful consideration, 
may we be engaged to work out our salvation with 
fear and trembling. Lord forbid that it should be 



92 THIRD WEEK. 

our condemnation to go Sabbath after Sabbath to 
thy sanctuary, to increase the deadness of our 
souls, to get our hearts more hardened, and to be 
slain by the words of thy mouth. But we pray for 
Christ's sake, that this may be a blessed and com- 
fortable day to us ; a day of repentance and par- 
don ; a day of conviction and conversion ; a day of 
edification and consolation. 

In all the services of this day, keep us, we pray 
thee, from drowsiness, wandering and weariness. 
Banish all vain and worldly imaginations far from 
us. Draw our souls out of the miry clay of this 
world, and wean us from the vain pleasures of it, 
that we may be intent upon Christ and heaven 
through the whole day. Deliver us from hypocri- 
sy in our approaches to thee. Let us not draw 
nigh unto thee with our lips, while our hearts are 
far from thee ; but give us grace so to ask, that we 
may receive ; so to seek, that we may find ; so to 
knock, that it may be opened unto us. 

Bless thy word, as it shall this day be proclaim- 
ed in accordance with thy will. May the minis- 
ters of the everlasting Gospel prove true to their 
important trust, and be instrumental in accomplish- 
ing much good in their respective spheres of labor. 

Have mercy, Lord, upon a world that lieth in 
wickedness. For thy name's sake ride forth in 



THIRD WEEK. 93 

the chariot of the everlasting Gospel. Take unto 
thyself thy glorious conquering power, and in thy 
majesty ride prosperously. Make the arrows of 
thy word sharp in the hearts of thine enemies, 
whereby the people may fall under thee. Cause a 
gale of heavenly wind this day to blow, that the 
dry bones may be enlivened, and many dead souls 
quickened. And grant that the faith of thy peo- 
ple may be strengthened, their desires quickened, 
and their love inflamed. May thy churches revive 
as the corn, and grow as the lily, and shoot forth 
their branches as Lebanon. May thy people run 
in the way of thy commandments with enlarged 
hearts. Let thy kingdom come, and thy will be 
done on earth even as it is done heaven. All which 
we beg for Christ's sake, to whom with the Father 
and Holy Spirit, be everlasting glory and praise. 
Amen. 



Sdbhath Evening. 
Most holy and glorious God ! Who is like unto 
thee ? Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, 
and coverest thyself with light as with a garment. 
Thou only hast immortality, and dwellest in a 
light unto which no man can approach. Yet thou 
art a God that hearest prayer, and art ready to 
forgive; yea, plenteous in mercy unto all who 



94 THIKB WEEK. 

call upon thee. Quicken thou us this evening of 
thine own holy day, that "we may call upon thy 
name, and graciously attend unto the voice of our 
supplications. 

We acknowledge, that we have forfeited thy fa- 
vor and deserved thy wrath. We have followed 
the vain imaginations of our carnal minds, and re- 
jected thy holy laws. We have left undone the 
things which we ought to have done, and have done 
the things which we ought not to have done. Our 
own consciences witness against us, and out of our 
own mouths thou mightest justly condemn us. But 
there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be 
feared. Blessed be thy name, that thou hast pro- 
vided a way for our pardon and reconciliation in 
Jesus Christ. For his sake, we pray that thou 
wouldst forgive all our past sins, and our manifold 
short comings ; particularly those of which we have 
been guilty this day. Wash away our sins in the 
blood of Christ. We fly to his cross as our secu- 
rity, and to his words as our refuge; renouncing 
all confidence in anything besides him, who is the 
Lord our righteousness. 

May we accept of him, not only as our high- 
priest to atone for us ; but also as our King, to 
reign in and rule over us, all the days of our lives. 
Do thou so incline our vdlls and animate our souls, 



THIKD WEEK. 9S 

by thy Holy Spirit, that we may never count thy 
commandments grievous ; but may esteem it our 
highest pleasure and dignity, as well as our great- 
est duty, to serve and obey thee. Convince us of 
the evil and filthiness of sin, that we may loathe 
and shun it as deadly poison. Cherish and pre^ 
serve any convictions of this sort, which thou 
hast this day wrought in us by thy word. Suffer 
us not, like the man that beholdeth his natural 
face in a glass, to go away and forget what man- 
ner of persons we saw ourselves to be ; but help us 
so to think of what we saw amiss in ourselves, that 
we may be humbled for it, and be made restless 
until we apply to the fountain of Christ's blood 
for washing away its guilt. Make us doers of thy 
word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own 
souls. Let thy word be a light to our feet, and a 
lamp to our path, that our conversation may be as 
becometh the Gospel, and our light so shine before 
men, that others, seeing our good works, may glo- 
rify thee our heavenly Father. 

Save us, Lord, from resting simply in a good 
name, or trusting to an outward form ; but do thou 
renew us in the spirit of our minds. May we be 
thy workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus 
unto good works. Produce and cherish in us a 
true faith, a fervent love, and a lively hope. And 



96 THIRD WEEK. 

Oh grant, that the love of Christ may be so shed 
abroad in our hearts, as to burn up the love of sin, 
and of the world, and constrain us to live not 
unta ourselves, but unto him who died for us and 
rose again. 

Cause the saving knowledge of Christ to cover 
the earth, and let his name be great from the rising 
of the sun, to the going down thereof. Convince 
the Jews that Shiloh is come, and that Jesus, whom 
they crucified, is the true Messiah. Lord, appear 
in behalf of thine own Church. Never let the 
gates of hell prevail against thy Zion. Let the 
time to favor her come. Peace be within her walls, 
and prosperity within her palaces, and let them 
prosper that love her. Bless these United States. 
Make our rulers public blessings, both in our civil 
and sacred concerns. Frustrate the designs of 
those who are enemies to thy cause. Countenance 
the ministers of thy word, and water the seed they 
sow with the dews of heaven, that they may bring 
a large harvest to Christ. 

Let not the word spoken this day, be like good 
seed devoured by the fowls of the air, or rotting 
beneath the clods ; but cause it to spring up and 
yield great increase. Be pleased, Lord, gra- 
ciously to visit those, who by sickness are deprived 
of public ordinances. Sanctify their afflictions^ 



THIRD WEEK. 97 

and make up their loss. Prepare us for sickness 
or trouble, if such await us, and give us cause to 
say that it is in faithfulness, that we are at any 
time afflicted. 

Bless all the members of this family. Let this be 
one of the tabernacles of the righteous, in which 
the voice of rejoicing and salvation is heard. En- 
able us all, faithfully to discharge the duties of our 
several stations. Mske us blessings to each other, 
and to all around us. Accept our daily sacrifices 
of prayer and praise, and let us all at last be ad- 
mitted to celebrate an eternal Sabbath with thee 
above ; for the sake and merit of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ, who with thee, and the Holy 
Spirit, is over all, God blessed for ever more. 
Amen. 



Monday Morning. 

Infinitely great and glorious God! we poor 
worms of the dust, encouraged by thy condescend- 
ing goodness ; by the promises of thy grace, and 
the mediation of thy Son, have taken upon us to 
speak to thy majesty. Oh that our hearts may be 
duly prepared to come into thy sacred presence ! 
Let thy good Spirit help our infirmities. 

Vf e thank thee, this morning, for all the comforts 
of social life, with which thou hast been pleased to 



98 THIRD WEEK. 

favor "US. Especially would we bless tliee^ for the 
continuance of our family-mercies. Thanks be to 
thy name, that thou hast kept us from the terrors 
of the past night ; from the malice of evil men : 
from the devouring flames, and from every calam- 
ity, and that thou hast caused us again to hear thy 
loving-kindness in the morning. 

We confess that we are guilty of many heinous 
sins and provocations, which used to bring wrath 
upon families, and which might justly bring a 
curse upon our's, and consume us with our dwell- 
ings. Surely it is of the Lord's mercies that we 
are not consumed. Blessed be thy name for the 
remedy which thou hast found out for us ; for the 
fountain thou hast opened for such guilty, polluted 
creatures as we are to wash in. Lord, give us 
faith to embrace the offer, and to apply the sover- 
eign remedy. We would believe ; help thou our 
unbelief. Create within us new hearts, and renew 
right spirits within us. Cast us not away from 
thy presence, and take not thine Holy Spirit from 
us. Cause us to know the way, wherein we should 
walk ; for we lift up our souls unto thee. 

Keep us this day, we beseech thee, in thy fear, 
and let thy Holy Spirit be our guide and counsel- 
lor in all our ways. Preserve us at all times, in 
all places, and in all companies, from the evil of 



THIRD WEEK. 99 

sin ; and enable us to demean ourselves as becom- 
eth the children of God, the redeemed of the Lord, 
and the followers of Jesus Christ. Implant and 
cherish such principles in our hearts, as may make 
us to have a sincere respect unto all thy command- 
ments, and to hate every false way. As another 
Sabbath is now past, and we are entering upon the 
common days of the week, may we not forget our 
Sabbath work and enjoyments. Oh that thy word 
may make lasting impressions upon us, and that 
our Sabbath day's frame may remain with us, 
when we are employed in our common business, 
that so we may expect the better to prosper in it, 
and to be rendered fitter for the next Sabbath, if 
it please thee to spare us to it. And grant, that, 
as we go from one sacred day to another, we may 
go from strength to strength, until we all appear 
before thee, in the heayenly Zion. 

May we love the Lord our God with all our 
hearts, and our neighbor as ourselves. Let us not 
seek our own things, but the things that are Jesus 
Christ's. May it be our concern to be useful in 
our day, and do thou enable us to improve the 
talents with which thou hast entrusted us, for the 
truest advantage of all with whom we have to do. 
May goodness and mercy follow us this day, and 
all our days. Preserve our going out and coming 



100 THIRD WEEK. 

in* Bless and prosper us in all our lawful designs 
and undertakings. Suffer us to take nothing in 
hand but what is according to thy will, and for 
thy glory. Be thou our guide through life, our 
comfort in death, and our eternal portion beyond it. 
Hear us from heaven, thy dwelling place, and 
when thou hearest, have mercy, and forgive the 
sins of our persons, and the imperfections of our 
prayers; and do exceeding abundantly above what 
we are worthy to expect, or able to ask, for his 
sake, who alone is worthy, thy beloved Son and 
our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee, 
Father, and the Holy Spirit, be endless praise. 
Amen. 



Monday JSve7iing. 

Lord, the high and lofty One, who inhabitest 
eternity, and whose name is holy ! When we con- 
sider the awful glories of thy nature, we mean and 
sinful creatures have cause exceedingly to fear and 
tremble on appearing in thy presence. But when 
we think of thy encouraging promises, and the dis- 
coveries of thy mercy, our drooping spirits are re- 
vived. Thou hast said, that though thou dwellest 
in the high and holy place, thou wilt also dwell 
with him who is of an humble and contrite spirit ; 
that the needy shall not be forgotten, and the ex- 



THIRD WEEK. 101 

pectation of the poor shall not perish. Lord, re- 
member thy word unto thy servants, upon which 
thou hast caused us to hope. Promote in us that 
contrition and brokenness of heart, in which 
thou hast so much delight, and be graciously pleas- 
ed to take up thine abode with us. Dwell in our 
house, and dwell in our hearts, and manifest to us 
the tokens of thy favor and presence. 

Thou hast already done great things for us, of 
which we are glad. We would this evening call 
upon our souls, and upon one another, to bless the 
name of the Lord. Blessed be God, who daily 
loadeth us with his benefits. Thou preservest us 
in going out and coming in. Thou spreadest our 
table and makest our cup to run over. Thou givest 
us rest on every side. Lord, what shall we render 
to thee for our personal and family mercies ? par- 
ticularly for our health and strength, our peace 
and liberty, our safety and protection, our food 
and raiment, our social comforts and relative en- 
joyments ? Above all, we bless thee, that thou 
causest the heavenly manna to be rained down 
about our tents ; that thou continuest with us the 
light of the glorious Gospel, and. the means of 
knowledge, holiness, and. happiness. In regard to 
spiritual privileges, we are favored above multitudes 
*of our fellow creatures, and even of our fellow 
Christians. 



102 THIRD WEEK. 

But, Lord, we must confess, to our shame, that 
we have not rendered unto thee, according to the 
benefits we have received. We have sinned times 
and ways without number. Look upon us, Lord, 
in mercy, through thy beloved Son, who was wound- 
ed for our transgressions, and bruised for our ini- 
quities. Pardon whatsover thou hast seen amiss 
in us through the past day ; and notwithstanding 
our great unworthiness, we plead, that of thy free 
bounty, thou wilt continue thy former care and 
protection over us this night. We bless thee that 
we have a place where to lay our head; that we are 
not wandering in deserts and mountains, or driven 
into dens and caves of the earth. Oh how much 
better are we provided for than our dear Saviour 
was, or than many of whom the world was not 
worthy ! May our hearts be suitably impressed 
with a sense of thy mercies ; and as thou art never 
weary of doing us good, may we never be weary of 
serving thee. 

Watch over this family continually, and send 
down such blessings upon it, as thou didst on the 
house of Obed-Edom for the ark's sake. Banish 
sin from among us. Implant thy fear in the hearts 
of all. Let us dwell together in unity, and do 
thou command thy blessing upon us, even life for 
evermore. Extend the hand of thy power and^ 



THIRD WEEK. 103 

mercy to the utmost corners of the earth, and to 
them that are afar off upon the sea. Let such as 
sit in clp.rkness and the shadow of death, see thy 
light and thy truth, and hear the joy of thy salva- 
tion. 

Be merciful to our country. May our magis- 
trates fear God and hate evil. May those who 
minister in holy things, be blessed with skillful 
heads, compassionate hearts, and exemplary lives. 
Convert the unconverted, and perfect the good 
work where it is begun. Enlighten the ignorant ; 
awaken the secure ; convince the erroneous ; re- 
claim the vicious ; establish the unsettled ; comfort 
the dejected ; and visit the sick and afflicted. 
Bless all our relatives and friends ; forgive our en- 
emies, and turn their hearts. Direct our ways so 
to please thee, that even our enemies may be at 
peace with us. Lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the 
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 
Lord our God, whose we are, and whom we 
are bound to serve ! we acknowledge our depen- 
dence on thy providence, and desire to give thee 
the glory that is due unto thy name, for thy con- 
stant care over us, and kindness to us. Our voice 



104 THIRD WEEK. 

shalt thou hear in the morning, Lord. In the 
morning will we direct our praises and our prayers 
unto thee, and will look up in humble expectation 
of further mercies at thy hands. 

We bless thee that thou hast given us refreshing 
sleep, and caused our beds to comfort us. It is 
owing to thy providential care alone, that we have 
not been buried in the ruins of our habitation, and 
that no plague has come nigh our dwelling. 
Lord, we will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morn- 
ing ; for thou hast been our defence. Make us 
more sensible of the greatness of thy mercies, and 
more thankful for them. Especially impress us 
deeply with a sense of our great unworthiness, and 
of our manifold transgressions against thee, where- 
by we have forfeited all right to favor, and expos- 
ed ourselves to thy wrath and curse. Father, we 
have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and 
are no more worthy to be called thy children. 
Blessed be thy name, that thou art slow to anger, 
and plenteous in mercy ; and that thou hast effec- 
tually provided for the forgiveness of our sins and 
our restoration to thy favor, in a way fully consis- 
tent with the honor of thy perfections and govern- 
ment ; even by the mediation of thy dear Son, the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Worthy is the Lamb that was 
slain to take away our guilt, and to open up a new 



THIRD WEE^^. 105 

and living way of access t^ thee. Oh may we be 
found in him, and made accepted in the beloved. 

Grant us, we besee^ii thee, repentance towards 
God, and faith in ^ar Lord Jesus Christ. Help 
us so to find out o^r sins, and discover the evil na- 
ture of them, t^at we may sorrow for them after 
a godly sort, and bring forth fruits meet for re- 
pentance, ^ that they may never prove our ruin. 
Lord, do t^ou enable us to return unto thee, through 
the blesv^d Mediator, in the way of new^ obedience. 
Put th/ Spirit within us, and cause us to walk in 
thy ^atutes, and keep thy commandments to do 
theii- Dispose us, Lord, to the duties of piety 
trwards thee ; justice and charity to our neighbors; 
iobriety and temperance towards ourselves. So 
engage our hearts towards thyself, by the manifold 
blessings of thine hands, and especially by the gifts 
of thy grace in a Redeemer, that we may esteem it 
our meat and our drink to do thy will. 

Continue to us, gracious God, the health and 
safety, the prosperity and comforts, which thou hast 
hitherto afforded us, notwithstanding our great un- 
worthiness ; and Oh give us hearts to improve 
them aright to thy glory. Sanctify to us all our 
enjoyments and employments in the present world. 
And whatever afflictions thou mayest appoint for 
usj enable us to see thy hand, and submit to thy 
8 



106 THIRD WEEK. 

will In them* Fit us for all the events that may 
befall us. Sanctify our crosses as well as our com- 
forts, and cause both to work together for our 
good. Make us humble in a high estate, content- 
ed in a low one, and still carefU about our souls in 
all conditions. 

We depend upon thee, Lord, hr direction and 
success in all our undertakings. Yq bless thee 
that thou hast promised to those who acknowledge 
thee in all their way&, that thou wilt a'rect their Jj 
paths. Lord^ we desire to put ourseb^s under 
thy gracious conduct and fatherly protectio:^^ that 
thou mayest choose our inheritance for us, ani dis- 
pose of us and all that concerns us, to the glorj of 
thy name. Grant us all things needful and conv-*- 
nient for our present pilgrimage state. Give us 
day by day our daily bread, and save us at all 
times from distrusting thy Providence. May we 
be careful for nothing ; but in every thing by pray- 
er and supplication, with thanksgiving, make our 
requests known to God. May we set the Lord 
always before us, and while we live upon thy boun- 
ty, may we continually live to thy praise. And do 
thou so guide us in all our ways, with thy counsel, 
that thou mayest hereafter receive us to thy glory. 

And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and the love of God our heavenly Fathery 



THIRD WEEK. 107 

and the comfortable fellowship of the Holy Ghost, 
be with us, and all for whom wo ought to pray, this 
day, and for evermore. Amen. 



Tuesday Evening. 
Most great and ever-blessed God ! we, thine 
unworthy creatures, desire at this time, with all 
humility, to bow ourselves in thine awful presence, 
acknowledging thine infinite perfections and glo- 
ries. Thou art the author and support of univer- 
sal nature, the Lord and the life of the creation. 
We acknowledge ourselves thy creatures, whose 
bodies and souls were formed by thine hand, and 
are continually sustained by thy care and favor. 
Most justly, therefore, mightestthou have expected 
from us the most constant gratitude, duty, and 
obedience ; but we humbly confess before thee, with 
the deepest humiliation, shame and sorrow, that 
we have been very much wanting in those returns ; 
yea, that we have all grievously offended thee. 
We own and lament, most gracious Sovereign, 
that we have, in numberless instances, broken those 
wise and holy laws, which thou gavest us for our 
good ; so that we have deserved thy righteous dis- 
pleasure, and might have been made examples of 
justice, and spectacles of misery. 

But we humbly implore thy pardoning mercy in 



108 THIRD WEEK* 

Jesus Christ our Lord, thine only begotten and 
well beloved Son, who hath, by thine appointment, 
compassionate Father, visited this world of ours, 
not only to give us the most excellent instructions, 
confirmed by the most astonishing miracles, and 
recommended by the most amiable example ; but 
also to redeem us to God by his blood, and to offer 
up his own life a sacrifice for us. We would ap- 
proach thy sacred presence with all becoming re- 
gard to him, humbly pleading that atoning blood 
which he shed on the cross, and that all perfect 
merit and righteousness of his^ by which alone sin- 
ners may draw near unto thee with acceptance. 
And we entreat thee, for his sake, and in regard 
to our relation to him, fully and freely to forgive 
us all our numberless transgressions, and to be 
graciously reconciled to us ; yea, to take us, un- 
worthy as we are, into the number of thy dear \ 
children. For his sake, we also humbly entreat 
thee to free us from the power of sin, and to send 
down thy Holy Spirit upon our hearts, in a rich 
abundance, to inspire us with a hatred of every 
thing that is displeasing to thee, and to form us to 
a love of universal goodness, and a desire of 
making continual improvements in it* 

While we continue in this uncertain world, give 
us, if it be thy blessed will, food to eat, and rai- 



THIRD WEEK. 109 

xnent to put on, health of body, and cheerfulness 
of mind, and whatever other enjoyments thou seest 
necessary to make our journey through life com- 
fortable. But let us not have our portion on earth. 
May our hearts be more and more indifferent to it, 
and our views continually raised above it. And 
help us so to live from day to day, that should we 
be ever so suddenly summoned away, death may 
not be a terrible, but joyful surprise. Support us, 
Lord, in our last extremities, and help us to 
honor thee by our dying behavior ; receive our de- 
parting spirits to the embraces of thy mercy, and 
give us a triumphant part in the resurrection of the 
just. 

We pray for the advancement of thy Gospel in 
the world, and for the conversion of Jews and Gen- 
tles to the faith as it is in Jesus. May pure reli- 
gion and undefiled before God the Father, increase 
both abroad and at home. By thy grace, animate 
those who are distinguished by power, riches, or 
other talents, that they may improve all for the 
public good. We earnestly pray that the ministers 
of thy Gospel, of every denomination, may, with 
united affection, ardent zeal, and eminent success, 
be carrying on the work of the Lord. Spread 
among Christians of every profession, a spirit of 
forbearance, candor, and love. Visit all who are 



110 TTTIRD WEEK. 

in affliction, whether personal or relative, in mind, 
body or estate. Graciously support them under 
their sorrows, and in thine own time send them de- 
liverance. 

We beseech thee to bless us as a family. May 
we all be found in a faithful discharge of our duty 
to thee, and to each other. May our united and 
retired devotions be so performed, as to have the 
happiest influence on our temper and on our lives. 

And now, most merciful Father, we desire 
with all our hearts to bless thy holy name, for all 
thy goodness to us, and to the whole human race. 
We especially praise thee for the mercies of the 
past day, and humbly commit ourselves to thy pro- 
tection and favor this night, entreating thee to 
guard us from all evil, and to grant, that when we 
next assemble together, we may have reason to 
unite our praises for the continuance of thy good- 
ness ; and Oh may we be perpetually advancing in 
our preparation for that world, where we hope to 
worship thee without any of those imperfections 
which now attend us. All which we ask and hope, 
through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ, in 
whom we have righteousness and strength, and in 
whose name and words we would conclude our ad- 
dresses, saying, 

Our Father, &c. 



THIRD WEEK. Ill 

Wednesday 31orning. 

Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the Most 
High God over all the earth ! we would approach 
thee this morning onee more as worshippers. May 
a sense of thy greatness, and of thy goodness, 
deeply impress our minds, and influence our 
thoughts and affections, as we thus present our- 
selves before thee. Thou art the Father of mer- 
cies, and the God of all grace, and consolation. 
Even we, poor sinful worms of the dust, are the 
constant objects of thy care. Thou art ever mind- 
ful of us, and doing us good, though we are evil 
and unthankful. Our lines have fallen to us in 
pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage. 
We live in a land of Gospel light, and of Gospel 
privileges. 

We would praise thee for all our mercies, and 
especially that thou hast not spared thine own 
beloved Son, but hast freely delivered him up for 
us all. We would come in his name, and make 
mention of his righteousness only. We plead his 
obedience and sufferings, by which he has magnifi- 
ed the law and made it honorable. May we be 
justified by his death, and saved by his life. Oh 
that we may indeed be joined unto the Lord, and 
be made one spirit with him. Enable us to deny 
ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. May 



112 THIRD WEEK. 

we be prepared by the influences of the Holy Spir- 
it for all the dispensations of thy Providence ; be- 
ing "willing that the Lord should choose our inher- 
itance for us, and determine what we shall retain 
or lose ; what we shall suffer or enjoy. 

If favored with prosperity, may we be secured 
against its snares, and use its advantages, as not 
abusing them. Shouldst thou send afiliction upon 
us, may we patiently and cheerfully submit to it, 
as necessary to hedge up our way, when tempted 
to wander or go astray, to excite in us abhorrence 
for sin, to wean us from this world, and to prepare 
us for that which is to come. In whatsover state 
we are, may we be therewith content. Only as- 
sure us, that thou wilt be with us in our trouble, 
and that at the end of this vale of tears, we shall 
enter Immanuel's land, where the inhabitants no 
more say : I am sick ; where our sun shall no more 
go down, nor our moon withdraw itself, but God 
shall be our everlasting light, and the days of our 
mourning shall be ended. 

Bless our friends and relatives. May they be 
fellow heirs with us of the grace of life. Let our 
house be the tabernacle of the righteous. May the 
children of this family, and all connected with us 
in the family relation, be a seed to serve thee. 
Forbid that any of us, who surround this family 



THIRD WEEK. 113 

altar, should at last be of the number of those, 
amongst whom there shall be weeping, and wailing, 
and gnashing of teeth, when they shall see Abra- 
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, 
and they themselves shut out. Help us all to re- 
gard our religious opportunities as talents, for 
which we must give an account. May we ever re- 
member, that our greatest danger results from our 
highest privileges, and fear, lest a promise being- 
left us of entering into thy rest, any of us should 
seem to come short of it. 

In the duties of this day, be thou graciously 
present with us. Preserve us from temptation, 
and from the allurements of the world. Defend 
us from danger, and prepare us for whatever may 
be thy will in regard to us. In all circumstances, 
may we manifest a Christian spirit, being kept 
from anger, and pride, and ambition ; from envy, 
hatred, and malice, and alluncharitableness. May 
we be diligent in business ; fervent in spirit ; serv- 
ing the Lord ; rejoicing in hope ; patient in tribu- 
lation ; continuing instant in prayer ; distributing 
to the necessity of saints ; given to hospitality. 
May we rejoice with those who do rejoice, and 
weep with those who weep. Help us to provide 
thing's honest in the sig-lit of all men ; and live 
peaceably with all. To the end of our lives, may 



114 THIRD WEEK. 

we be the humble and constant followers of Jesus 
Christ, so that at last, through his merits, we may, 
with all thy people, be admitted to the joys of thy 
kingdom above. 

And to the only wise God, our Saviour, be praise 
and glory everlasting. Ameist. 



Wednesday Evening. 

thou King of Glory ! we desire to approach 
thee with reverence and godly fear, and to worship 
thee in the beauty of holiness. Do thou condescend 
to visit us in mercy, and bestow upon us the grace 
that we need. Thou art the fountain of all life 
and blessedness. Help us to seek our happiness 
only in thee. May we not be of the number of 
those, whose inquiry is. Who will show us any 
good ? But may we ever prize the light of thy 
countenance ; implore the joy of thy salvation ; 
and passing by all the attractions of creatures, be 
ever able to say. Whom have we in heaven but 
thee, and there is none upon earth that we desire 
beside thee ? 

Thou hast been infinitely more attentive to our 
happiness, than we ever have been, or ever can be. 
Thou madest man upright, and when, by wilful 
transgression, we fell away from thee, thou didst 
not treat us with the severity or the neglect we 



THIRD WEEK. 115 

deserved. In thy love and pity, thou wast pleased 
to provide a Saviour for us, who bore our griefs 
and carried our sorrows, and put away sin by the 
sacrifice of himself. Do thou apply the redemp- 
tion thus provided to our hearts, by the justifica- 
tion of our persons, and the sanctification of our 
natures. We acknowledge our transgressions ; but 
pray thee to have mercy upon us. We are heavy 
laden ; do thou give us rest. We are ignorant ; 
make us wise unto salvation. We are helpless ; 
let thy strength be made perfect in our weakness. 
We are poor and needy; bless us with the unsearch- 
able riches of Christ. May we run, and not be 
weary ; and walk and not faint. And though per- 
plexities, and trials, and dangers await us, yet may 
we travel on, unchecked and undismayed, knowing 
that thou hast said, I will never leave thee, nor 
forsake thee. 

Thus far, Lord, hast thou led us on, and we 
have found thee faithful to thy promises. We have 
had our sorrows ; but thou hast been a present help 
in every time of trouble. We have had our fears ; 
but thou hast not sufi*ered the enemy to triumph 
over us. We have sometimes been on the verge 
of despair, and ready to regard ourselves as cast 
out of thy sight ; but, we have been enabled to 
look towards thy hol}^ temple, and have found the 



110 THIED WEEK. 

shadow of death chased away by the light of thy 
presence. Hitherto, Lord, hast thou helped us ! 
We bless thy holy name for thy goodness to us. 
Unto thee will we render praise ; for thou hast de- 
livered our souls from death. Wilt thou not also 
deliver our feet from falling, that we may walk 
before God, in the light of the livmg. 

We would remember the intimate relations we 
sustain to others, and by sympathy, and prayer? 
and praise, make their miseries and mercies our 
own. We would rejoice with those that rejoice, 
and weep with those that weep. Provide support 
and employment for the poor. Make the widow's 
heart to sing for joy ; and in thee, may the father- 
less find mercy. Visit those who are on beds of 
sickness and prepare them for thy pleasure. If they 
shall live, may it be to serve thee. If their sick- 
ness shall end in death, may it be to triumph in thy 
grace. Bless our nation. May every department 
of it be under the control of infinite wisdom and 
goodness ; and let righteousness and peace be the 
stability of our times. Do good in thy good plea- 
sure unto Zion ; build thou the walls of Jerusa- 
lem ; and may all our Churches, like the original 
disciples, continue steadfastly in the Apostles' doc- 
trine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, 
and in prayer. 



THIRD WEEK. 117 

Protect and refresh us during the night season, 
and cause us to hear thy loving kindness in the 
morning ; for in thee do we trust. Make us to 
know the way wherein we should go ; for we lift up 
our souls unto thee. These mercies Vfe implore 
through the intercession of thy Son, and our Sa- 
viour. And blessing, and honor, and glory, and 
power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, 
and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. 



Thursday Morning. 

Almightj'' and most glorious Jehovah ! we adore 
thee as the God of nature, the God of providence, 
and the God of grace. As from thee all creatures 
received their being, so on thee they constantly 
depend. With the deepest humiliation would we 
prostrate ourselves before thy throne, and ac- 
knowledge our constant and entire dependence on 
thee, not only for the continuance and comfort of 
our natural lives, but for the safety and welfare of 
our souls, in time and eternity. We confess that 
we are not only guilty creatures, and as such, need 
thy pardoning mercy ; but also, that we are de- 
praved and impotent creatures, and as such, stand 
in absolute need of thy renewing and strengthening 
grace. 

We rejoice, Lord, in the kind assurance, which 



lis THIRD WEEK. 

thou hast given us, of thy readiness to bestow lib- 
erally upon us all the assistance we require, in or- 
der to a successful opposition against sin and 
temptation, and the acceptable performance of all 
the arduous duties of the divine life. In compli- 
ance with thy condescending invitation, we come 
with boldness to the throne of mercy, that we may 
find grace to help in every time of need ; and would 
earnestly plead thine own gracious promise, O 
heavenly Father, to give thy Spirit unto them 
who ask him of thee. 

Be thou surety unto thy servants for good. 
Shed abroad the sanctifying influences of thy grace 
on our souls, to form us for every duty, which 
thou requirest. Implant every Christian grace 
and virtue deep in our hearts, and maintain and 
strengthen them amidst all the assaults both from 
within and without, to which we are continually 
liable, whilst we are in this world, where we carry 
about with us so many infirmities. 

May we be so joined to Christ Jesus our Lord, 
as to become one spirit with him, and feel his in- 
vigorating influences continually bearing us on, 
superior to every temptation, and to every corrup- 
tion ; that while the youths shall faint and be wea- 
ry, and the young men utterly fall^ we may so 
wait upon the Lord as to renew our spiritual 



THIRD WEEK. 119 

strength^ to run without weariness, to walk without 
fainting ; yea, to fly as on the wings of eagles to- 
wards heaven. May we be going on continually 
from one degree of faith and love, of holiness and 
zeal, unto another, until we appear perfect before 
thee in Zion, to drink in immortal vigor and joy 
from thee, the everlasting fountain of both. 

Whilst we are here, we are surrounded with dan- 
ger and difficulties. Blessed God, to thine al- 
mighty power we flee. thou that savest by thy 
right hand them that put their trust in thee^ 
stretch out thine omnipotent arm to save us. We 
put ourselves under thy protection. Let thy grace 
be sufiicient for us, and thy strength be made per- 
fect in our weakness. We dare not say, we will 
never forsake or deny thee ; but we hope we can 
say, that we would not do it. Oh root out those 
corruptions from our hearts, which, in an hour of 
pressing temptation, might alter our views, and be- 
tray us into the hands of the enemy. 

Strengthen our faith, Lord. Encourage our 
hope and inspire us with an heroic resolution, in 
opposing every thing, which obstructs us in our 
way to heaven. May we set our faces like a flint 
against all the assaults of earth and hell. If sin- 
ners entice, let us not consent. If they insult, let 
us not regard it. If they threaten, let us not fear. 



120 THIRD WEEIC. 

May we never be ashamed to plead thy catise 
against the most profane deriders of religion ; but, 
may we be filled with courage, charity, and zeal, 
to teach transgressors thy ways, that sinners may 
be converted to thee. 

Keep us, God, this day and at all times, by thy 
mighty power, and on that may we always rely. Nev- 
er l-et us think ourselves strong enough to maintain 
the combat without thee, nor yet imagine ourselves 
so weak, that thou canst not support us. Wherev- 
er thou leadest us, there let us follow, and whatever 
station thou appointest for us, there let us labor. 
In the midst of dangers and discouragements, may 
we look unto Jesus, the captain of our salvation, 
the great author and finisher of our faith; and may 
we finally be made more than conquerors, through 
him who hath loved us, in whom all have righteous- 
ness and strength, and unto whom be ascribed sal- 
vation and honor, blessing and praise, now and for- 
ever. Amen. 



Thursday Evening. 
Ever blessed and glorious God ! Thou art a great 
God, and a great King above all gods. The earth 
is thine, and the fulness thereof ; the world, and 
they that dwell therein. We are thine ; for thou 
madest us, and on thee we entirely depend for the 



THIRD WEEK. 121 

continuance of life and all its enjoyments. It is 
most fit, therefore, that we should daily acknowl- 
edge our dependence on thee, and our obligations 
to thee, in united acts of prayer and praise. We 
prostrate ourselves this evening before thy throne, 
to tender thee the homage which is thy due ; and 
under a sense of our great unworthiness, we beg 
to be accepted through Jesus Christ. 

We bless thee for the being thou hast given us, 
and for all the powers of body and of mind, with 
which we are endowed. We praise thee for the 
continual care of thy providence over us by night 
and by day, and for the numberless blessings with 
which our lives are crowned. How precious are 
thy thoughts unto us, God ! If we would count 
them, they are more than can be numbered. We 
particularly praise thee for the safety and comforts 
of the past day. Under a sense of thy former 
kindness, we commit ourselves and each other to 
thy future care. May we this night rest secure 
under the shadow of thy wings, and let thy good 
providence continue to be exercised for our protec- 
tion and comfort, through all the remaining days 
of our lives on earth. Under an apprehension of 
the manifold dangers and calamities to which we 
are ever liable in this present evil world, we flee to 
thee as our only refuge. Be thou pleased to take 
9 



122 THIRD WEEK. 

charge of us, and we shall be secure from evil, and 
our hearts shall not fear. thou great Shepherd 
of Israel, whose w\atchful eye is ever upon them 
who trust in thee, preserve us lying down and rising 
up, going out and coming in, from this time forth 
and forever. 

But we would more especially be solicitous for 
the safety and happiness of our souls. Blessed 
God ! in the midst of ten thousand snares and 
dangers, from without, and from within, permit us 
to look up to thee as the God of salvation, to whom 
belong the issues from death. Let thine eyes be 
upon us for good, and keep these souls of ours from 
whatever would involve them in guilt and ruin. 

Preserve us, God, from that pride which go- 
eth before destruction, and that lust of ambition by 
which so many have fallen. Promote in us that 
humility and lowliness of mind, which so well be- 
comes the disciples of the blessed Jesus. May we 
learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart. 
Deliver us, we beseech thee, from covetousnesss, 
which is idolatry, and that love of the world, which 
is enmity with God. Let us not make haste to be 
rich, nor seek great things for ourselves on the 
earth, remembering that the love of money is the 
root of all evil. And if riches increase, let us not 
set our hearts upon them. May our desires after 



THIRD WEEK. 123 

worldly possessions, and our delight in tliem, be 
moderated by considering their uncertain and un- 
satisfying nature ; and while others are laying up 
for themselves treasures on earth, may we be rich 
towards God. Denver us from all those excessive 
cares about the things of this life in general, which 
would so engross our time and thoughts, that the 
one thing needful would be forgotten. May we 
never be too busy about the most lawful things, to 
attend to those great affairs which lie between thee 
and our souls ; never so taken up with the concerns 
of time, as to neglect the interests of eternity. 

Deliver us from all those fleshly lusts, which war 
against the soul, and from all those vices of the 
mind, wdiich tend to grieve thy good Spirit, and to 
banish peace and joy from the heart. Especially, 
we pray that thou wilt deliver us from the sins 
which do most easily beset us, and enable us to set 
a special guard against them. Help us continual- 
ly to watch and pray, that we may not enter into 
temptation, and to keep our hearts with all dili- 
gence, since out of them are the issues of life. 

We lament it, that, through our neglect of watch- 
fulness and prayer, we have so often yielded to 
temptation, and fallen into sin. Mercifully pardon 
all our past neglects. Make us more circumspect 
for the time to come ; and do thou, God of all 



124 THIRD AVEEK. 

grace, keep us from falling, and preserve us by thy 
mighty power, through faith unto salvation. Our 
safety and our happiness are in thee alone. On 
thy power, grace, and faithfulness wdll we rely, 
and to thy name shall be all the glory, through 
Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate. 
Amen. 



Friday Morning. 

Most glorious and ever-blessed Jehovah ! we 
humbly adore thee, as the Creator and Lord of all ; 
the wise and holy, and gracious Governor of the 
universe, whom all thy rational creatures are bound 
by duty and interest, to worship, love and obey. 
As we were made by thee, so we were made for thee, 
and our best service is thy due. Blessed be thy 
name, that thou hast so fully instructed us, what 
is thy mind and will concerning us. 

With sorrow and shame, we confess our manifold 
violations of thy wise and holy law, whereby w^e 
have exposed ourselves to the curse Avhich it de- 
nounces. As thy law demands perfect obedience, 
and we are all transgressors of it, we are convinc- 
ed that by the deeds of the law no flesh living can 
be justified. We thank thee, Lord, for that 
blessed Gospel which thou hast sent among us, in 
which the glad tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ 



THIRD WEEK. 125 

are proclaimed. Teach us to form right views of 
the religion of the Gospel^ and give us to experience 
the life and power of it in our souls. 

We make a profession of Christianity ; God for- 
bid that we should rest in a mere profession ! but 
grant that we may be Christians in deed and in 
truth. Oh suffer us not to deceive ourselves in a 
matter of such infinite importance. Lord God 
omniscient, thou searchest all hearts, and triest 
the reins of the children of men ; search thou our 
hearts, and try our thoughts, and see if there be 
any wicked way in us, and lead us into the w^ay 
everlasting. Enable us also frequently and impar- 
tially to examine ourselves, as in thy sight ; and 
let our own consciences testify whether we are 
possesed of that repentance towards God, and that 
fath in our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Gospel 
requires ; and whether we have been brought to 
that new, universal, and cheerful obedience, which 
is the genuine and necessary fruit thereof. 

If hitherto we are any of us utter strangers to 
these things, convince us of our guilt and danger, 
and let that blessed Spirit, who is the author of the 
new creation, create us anew in Christ Jesus. 
Work in us that faith which is the operation of 
God. Direct us to behold Jesus, as laboring, suf- 
fering, dying, and ascending, for the salvation of 



126 THIRB WEEK, 

sinners. Give us faith in the efficacy of his right- 
eousness, atonement, and intercession, and enable 
us to come unto him that we may have life, and to 
rely upon him for complete salvation. May we 
know what it is to have our whole hearts subdued 
by his love, so as to be crucified with him, to be 
dead unto sin, to be mortified to the vforld, but alive 
unto God. Make us to bear his image, to obey 
his laws, to pursue his service, to seek his glory, to 
promote his cause. 

Whatever there be wanting in us, to constitute 
us real Christians, Lord discover it to us, and 
work it in us. Beat down every false presumptu- 
ous hope, and let us know the worst of ourselves 
while yet there is a remedy. If any secret sin be 
lurking in our hearts, root it out, however painful 
the operation. May all old things pass away, and 
all things become new. If v/e are Christians in- 
deed, and have received the grace of God in truth, 
give us the comfortable evidence of thy good work 
begun. May thy Spirit witness with our spirits 
that we are the children of God. Make us more 
sensible of our imperfections, more humble for them, 
more desirous and diligent to have them removed. 
Do thou, God, perfect what is lacking in our 
knowledge and in our faith, and fulfill in us all the 
good pleasure of thy goodness. 



THIRD WEEK. 127 

We praise thee for thy continued goodness to us. 
We commend ourselves, and all that are dear unto 
us, to thy future care. May thy providence guard 
and provide for us this day, and may thy grace 
enable us every day to live in thy fear. Pardon, 
accept, and bless us, Father of mercies, through 
thy dear Son Jesus Christ, who is our hope, in 
whom believing we would rejoice, and desire to be 
found, living, dying, and forever. Amen. 



FridMy Evening. 

THOU ever-blessed, glorious, and gracious 
God ! who art the fountain both of the natural and 
spiritual life, we, thy dependent and greatly obliged 
creatures, are once more met together to make our 
united acknowledgments to thee ; to praise thee 
for the mercies we have already received, and to 
implore future blessings according to our necessi- 
ties, both for the body and for the soul. 

We thank thee, that thou gavest us life at first, 
and that amid so many dangers, and so many prov- 
ocations, we continue to live, and enjoy so many of 
the comforts of life. It is thy visitation which 
upholds our spirits, and thy free unmerited good- 
ness which gives us whatever contributes to render 
our lives happy. Blessed be God for all our en- 
joyments of an outward nature, both personal and 



128 THIKD WEEK. 

relative. May they be continued to us, and Oh 
may they be wisely improved ! While we live, 
may we live unto the Lord. If any of us are as 
yet dead in trespasses and sins, do thou raise us 
to a new, a spiritual and divine life. Adored be 
the riches of thy grace, if any of us have ground 
to hope, that thou hast begun this good work in us. 
We lament the imperfections of it, and pray that 
thou wilt strengthen what thou hast wrought. It 
is our earnest desire, that we may grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of oar Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ. Form our minds to those right no- 
tions of religion, on which our progress in it so 
much depends. Give us a growing acquaintance 
with thee, with ourselves, and with the doctrines, 
precepts, and promises of the glorious Gospel. 

Make us faithful stewards to our great Lord, 
from whom we have received all we have, and to whom 
we must shortly render a strict account. May we 
think of no interest of our own, in opposition to 
thine, or as separate from it ; but consider it as 
most effectually living to ourselves, when we live 
most unto thee. Under a growing sense of thy 
love to us, may we feel an increasing love to our 
brethren of mankind ; and as we have ability and 
opportunity, may we be ready to do good unto all. 
Whatever of the good things of this life thou hast 



THIRD WEEK. 129 

lodged in our hands for tlieir relief, may we be thy 
faithful almoners: and while we give liberally, may 
we do it with discretion, so as to answer the best 
ends. And do thou multiply the seed sown, and 
so prosper us in our worldly affairs, if it be thy 
blessed will, that we may have more to impart to 
them who are in need. 

Whatever be our talents, may they not be hid ; 
and if thou givest any of us but one, may that be 
improved with care, as what is to be accounted for 
to the Lord of all. May we be particularly con- 
cerned to be useful to those with whom we are 
most intimately connected in life, in promoting 
their spiritual and eternal interests. May we of 
this family, be more useful to one another, espe- 
cially in our best concerns ; and may the heads of 
the family in particular be instruments of great 
and everlasting good to all committed to their 
charge. 

We wish well to the whole human race, and as 
an expression of our love to them, we would affec- 
tionately recommend them to thy tender compas- 
sion, who art able to do for them above all that we 
can ask or think. Have pity upon the world that 
lies in wickedness, and let the Gospel every where 
be the power of God unto salvation. Bless our 
country, and let thy favor extend to all ranks of 



130 THIKD WEEK. 

men. Promote among us that righteousness which 
exalteth a nation. Awaken the zeal, and succeed 
the labors of thy ministers and thy people, for the 
honor of Christ and the salvation of souls. Shew 
mercy to all in distress. Be a friend to all our 
friends, and let our Avorst enemies obtain thy sal- 
vation. Let us experience the tokens of thy pres- 
ence with us this night, and in the morning may 
we find ourselves still with thee. We ask all in 
the name, and as the disciples, of the benevolent 
Saviour of men, who went about continually doing 
good, and loved us even unto death ; unto whom 
be glory for ever. Amen. 



Saturday Morning. 

Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah ! the Crea- 
tor of heaven and earth, the Lord of angels and 
men ; we desire, with the deepest humiliation of 
soul, to fall down, at this time, in thine awful 
presence, and present ourselves before thee. Oh 
penetrate our hearts with a becoming sense of thine 
unutterable glories, and thy condescending good- 
ness. 

Who are we, Lord, or what is our house, that 
we should be permitted to speak unto thee, or to 
entertain any expectation of finding favor with 
thee ? We acknowledge that we have been great 



TfllKD AVEEK. 131 

transgressors. The irregular propensities of our 
corrupt nature, have, in thousands of instances, 
•wrouo;ht to brino; forth fruit unto death. If thou 
shouldst be strict to mark our offences, we must 
immediately sink into destruction. But adored be 
thy grace, thou hast called thy wandering sheep, 
thy prodigal children, to return unto thee. Behold, 
therefore, Lord, we come unto thee, convinced 
of our folly as well as of our sin, in having depart- 
ed from thee. Be thou merciful to our unright- 
eousness, and remember not our transgressions 
against us. 

Enable us, with the utmost sincerity, to surren- 
der ourselves unto thee. We would avouch thee 
the Lord, to be our God, and give ourselves up to 
thee as thy people. Oh accept us, as thine own, 
and grant that we may henceforth be entirely thine, 
thine forever. Help us cordially to renounce all 
other lords which have had dominion over us ; every 
sin, and every lust ; the world, and Satan the god 
of it, who have usurped the empire over our souls ; 
and enable us to reject all the temptations, which 
they may offer, to seduce our hearts from thee. 

To thee, Lord, w^e desire to present the whole 
frame of our nature; all the members of our bodies, 
and all the faculties of our minds, as living sacrifi- 
ces, holy and acceptable unto God, which we know 



132 THIRD WEEK. 

to be our most reasonable service. To tliee also 
"would we consecrate all our earthly possessions, to 
be enjoyed and laid out for thine honor. And the 
remainder of our time on earth, we desire to spend 
in thy service. Oh do thou instruct and enable us 
to employ every year, and day, and hour, so as 
shall most promote thine honor. Whatever influ- 
ence thou givest us over others, help us to improve 
it for thy glory and their good. May w^e resolve 
especially, that we and our house shall serve the 
Lord. Use us, we beseech thee, as instruments of 
thy glory, and honor us so far as, either, by doing 
or suffering what thou shalt appoint, to bring 
some revenue of praise to thee, and of benefit to 
the world. May we henceforth consider ourselves 
as not our own, but thine ; no longer strangers and 
foreigners, but thy peculiar people, fellow-citizens 
with the saints, and of the household of faith. Be- 
ing devoted to thee as thy people, enable us to 
rejoice in thee as our God in an everlasting cove- 
nant. 

We confess, Lord, our unworthiness of this 
honor and privilege, and our insufficiency for the 
duties which we owe thee. Vfash us, we beseech 
thee, in the blood of thy Son ; clothe us with thy 
righteousness, and sanctify us by the Spirit of thy 
grace. Destroy more and more the power of sin 



THIRD WEEK. 133 

in our hearts ; transform us more and more into 
thine own imas-e : and form us to a resemblance of 
the blessed Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our 
teacher, and our example, our sacrifice and inter- 
cessor. Communicate to us the needful influen- 
cess of thy enlightening, quickening, and comfort- 
ing Spirit. Lift upon us the light of thy counte- 
nance, and enable us to go on our way rejoicing. 
May we this day especially, find thee near unto us, 
in all its duties, privileges and mercies, enabling us 
in the midst of all, to improve to thy glory and 
the good of our souls. 

And when we have done and suffered thy will 
on earth, remove us hence, when and how thou 
pleasest ; only grant, that in our dying moments 
we may be enabled to glorify thee, and that with 
our last breath we may shew forth thy praise. 
Place underneath us thine everlasting arms ; put 
strength and confidence into our departing spirits, 
and receive us into the embraces of thine everlast- 
ing love. We ask all through Jesus, the great 
Mediator of the covenant, to whom, with thee, 
Father, and thine Holy Spirit, be everlasting 
praises ascribed. Amen. 



Saturday Evening. 
It is good to give thanks unto thy name, Lord 
and to shew forth thy praises, thou Most High; 



134 THIKD WEEK. 

morning and evening to speak of thy faithfulness 
and to talk of all thy wonderful works. Bless 
the Lord, our souls, and all that is within us, 
bless his holy name. Inspire our hearts, with a 
a deeper sense of thy goodness, and enable us with 
unfeigned love and gratitude to make our acknowl- 
edo-ments to thee. 

Thou art the author of our natures, the God of 
our lives, the fountain of all our comforts, and the 
foundation of all our hopes. We bless thee for 
these bodies of ours, which are fearfully and won- 
derfully made. Especially would we praise thee 
for our souls, which thou hast created, and by 
which we are allied to angels and formed after 
thine own image. We thank thee, that thou hast 
made us capable of inquiring after God our Maker, 
of rendering thee a rational homage, and of enjoy- 
ing thy favor forever. We bless thee for the 
knowledge with which thou hast adorned our minds, 
and especially for the grace which thou hast given 
us in Jesus Christ, for our deliverance from that 
guilt and condemnation, in which the whole world 
is involved, and for the renewing and sanctifying 
influence of thine Holy Spirit. 

We praise thee for that royal bounty with which 
thou providest for our daily support and entertain- 
ment. Thou spreadest a table for us in the wilder- 



THIRD WEEK. 135 

ness, and causest our cup to overflow. And Ave 
desire to be thankful, that we do not partake of 
the bounties of thy Providence alone ; but that we 
have so many agreeable friends to share them with 
us. Thanks be to God, for the blessings of social 
life in general, and particularly for our own domes- 
tic and fiimily enjoyments ; for so many dear re- 
latives at home, as well as abroad, who are able 
and disposed to serve us in the various offices of 
love. Nor would we forget to acknowledge thy 
favor in rendering us in any way capable of serv- 
ing others. Whatever ability, and whatever incli- 
nation we possess, for promoting the good of our 
fellow creatures, this also cometh from thee. 

thou greatest and best of beings, possess our 
souls with a supreme delight in thyself, and cause 
us to long after more abundant communications of 
thy favor, and a nearer conformity to thy will and 
to thy blessed nature. Withdraw our affections 
more and more from all created objects, and engage 
us to return unto thee, and repose ourselves in thee 
as our rest, who hast dealt so bountifully with us. 
Thou art our Father and our friend for time and 
for eternity. As such may we cheerfully commit 
ourselves to thee for both, leaving it to thee to 
choose our inheritance, and to order all our affairs; 
while we make it all our business to serve thee. 



136 THIRD WEEK. 

and all our delight to praise thee. Oh may our 
souls follow hard after thee, and still press on to- 
ward thee ; and may thy right hand uphold us, 
until all our desires be accomplished in the full 
enjoyment of thee. 

Amidst all the difficulties and dangers of our 
mortal pilgrimage, may we feel ourselves support- 
ed, and borne forward by thine Almighty arm, to- 
w^ards the region of blessedness. May we be wait- 
ing for thy salvation with ardent desire, and yet 
with calm resignation, whilst we are found doing 
thy commandments. May our loins be girt about, 
and our lamps be burning, as those who are wait- 
ing for their Lord ; and Oh grant, that we may 
be found of him in peace. The close of every week 
and every day brings us nearer to the close of life. 
Oh that every week and every day may find us 
wiser and better ; more fit to leave this world and 
to enter into the heavenly state. 

We pray that thy blessing may be upon all thy 
people. Feed thine inheritance and lift them up 
forever. May every Christian society flourish in 
knowledge, holiness and love. Clothe thy minis- 
ters with salvation, that by their means thy chosen 
people may be made joyful. Cause a glorious ac- 
cession to thy churches everywhere. May con- 
verts fly to Jesus as a cloud, and as doves to their 



FOURTH WEEK, 



1^7 



w^indows. May thy table, Lord, be furnished 
xvith guests ; and may all that love thy salvation, 
say, '' Let the Lord be magnified, who hath pleas- 
ure in the prosperity of his servants." We pray 
that those^ who profess to have received Christ Jesus 
the Lord*, may be duly careful to walk in him. 

Grant that the solemnities of thine house on the 
ensuing day, may be blessed to us and to our fel- 
low-worshippers ; and that by all the services of 
thy Church below^ we may be preparing to join the 
general assembly and Church of the first born 
above. We present these, our imperfect praises 
and prayers, to thee^ in the all-prevailing name of 
Jesus, who died for our sins, and who rose again 
for our justification, and ever lives to make inter- 
cession for us ; to whom be honor and dominion 
everlasting. Amen. 



FOURTH WEEK. 

Sahhath 3Iorning, 
Unto thee, Lord, would we once more lift up 
our hearts, and unto thee direct our supplication 
and prayer ; for that thy name is near, thy won- 
drous works declare. It is our greatest honor and 
advantage to be allowed access to thee ; but our 
souls are so bowed down with a spirit of infirmity, 
that we cannot lift them up unto thee. Lord, 
10 



138 , I^OUETH WEEK. 

cure this sad disease ; cleanse us frora all our sins.^ 
remove our carnality, and spiritualize our aifec- 
tions. 

We praise thee for tliy distinguisliing mercies 
to us, especially that we were born and do still 
live in a valley of vision ; in a lightsome Goshen, 
whilst other nations of the earth are still over- 
whelmed with Egyptian darkness. We bless thee 
that we dwell in a land of Sabbaths, where God is 
known and publicly worshipped. 

It is a good thing to praise thy name, Lord^ 
and to declare thy loving kindness. May we go 
unto thy gates this day, with thanksgiving, and 
enter thy courts with praise. Oh that this day 
may be the delight of our souls ! Suffer us not 
therein to do our own works, or speak our own 
words, or think our own thoughts. Lord fix our 
hearts upon thee, and upon things above, and en- 
able us to approve our souls in thy sight, who art 
the spectator of our actions, and the searcher of 
our hearts, and who will shortly call us to judg- 
ment. 

We bless thee for thy holy word, which is a light 
to our feet and a lamp to our path. Especially 
would we bless thee for the great Gospel record, 
" that God hath given to us eternal life, and that 
this life is in his Son." Oh may we receive it as 



FOURTH WEEK, 139 

a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 
May we have an interest in the mediation of thy 
Son; and may he be made of God unto us wisdom^ 
righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 

Grant that our hearts may this day be filled with 
pleasing thoughts of Christ, and of that great love 
wherewith he hath loved us. For his sake forgive 
all our sins, in thought, word, and deed ; and let 
our lusts be mortified, that they may not be as 
clogs to hinder the ascent of our souls heavenward. 

Give to thy servants who shall preach thy word 
this day the tongue of the learned, that they may 
rightly divide the vrord of truth, and speak a word 
in season to the souls of their hearers, and suitable 
to their various cases. Do thou glorify thy free 
grace and sovereign power in making the Gospel 
efi"ectual for opening the hearts of sinners, and 
bringing them to cast down the weapons of rebel- 
lion, and touch the golden sceptre of mercy, that 
they may live. And we pray thee so to open our 
hearts this day, by thy word, that they may be 
shut against thee no more. Lord forbid that our 
hearts should be as the high way or stony ground, 
where the good seed of thy word cannot thrive ; or 
like the thorny ground, where the cares of the world 
do choke the word ; but let us receive thy word 
into good and honest hearts^ and bring forth fruit 



140 FOURTH WEEK. 

unto perfection. Dispose us to hear with humility 
and reverence, without prejudice, and with minds 
ready to obey, mixing faith with thy word, that it 
may be profitable to our souls. 

In praying, in praising, in reading and in hear- 
ing thy word, may thy good Spirit rest upon us, 
and enable us to do all as for our life. Help us 
so to spend this day, and all our days, that we may 
at length receive the end of our faith, even the 
salvation of our souls. Oh may we spend every 
Sabbath, and hear every sermon, as if it were our 
last, since we know not how soon our last will 
come. 

May we thus grow in grace and in the knowl- 
edge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, until 
we attain to the stature of a perfect man in Christ 
Jesus ; and shall at last be permitted, with all thy 
ransomed ones, to surround thy throne of glory 
above, and unite in praising thee, Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, in a world without end. Amen. • 



Sabbath Evening > 
Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty, which was, 
and is, and art to come ! Thou art of purer eyes 
than to behold iniquity, and canst not look upon 
sin with pleasure. Yet, we rejoice to know that 
there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be 



FOURTH WEEK. 141 

feared ; yea, plenteous redemption in Jesus Christ 
thy Son. We would approach thee this night in 
his all prevailing name, and ask that we may be 
accepted of thee in him. 

We have been favored with the light and with 
the blessings and privileges of another of thy holy 
Sabbaths, as these are enjoyed in a Christian land. 
Thou knowest, Lord, how far we have improved 
them to the purpose for which they have been given. 
We confess, that our best attempts to serve thee, 
have been greatly defective J and even defiled with 
sin. We offer our prayers in the midst of much 
distraction of thought. Our very petitions, for 
ourselves, therefore, need thy pardon, our cold in- 
tercessions for others increase our own guilt, and 
our unworthy thanksgivings fall utterly short of 
thy great goodness to us. We carelessly also, and 
unbelieving^ hear thy word. Wert thou to deal 
with us as we deserve, we could not stand before 
thee. We pray thee to have mercy upon us in 
Jesus Christ thy Son. For his sake, do thou for- 
give us all our sins, and rejoice our hearts in thee, 
as our reconciled God and Father in and through 
the dear Redeemer. 

Forbid, Lord, that it should be in vain, or 
even worse, than in vain, that we have enjoyed 
Buch distinguished privileges as thou hast this day 



142 FOURTH WEEK. 

given us. For we know, that if they are not prop- 
erly improved, it will be more tolerable for Sodom 
and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for us. 
Let not the seed of thy word, which has this day 
been sown in our hearts, be plucked away by Satan, 
lost through temptation, or choked by the cares of 
this life ; but may it be properly treasured up, and 
permitted to bring forth fruit to thine honor and 
glory. 

Grant, Lord, that our lives may ever exhibit 
whose we are, and whom we desire to serve. Do 
thou enable us faithfully to keep whatever resolu- 
tions we have formed, in thy strength, to live de- 
cidedly unto thee. We desire to have nothing 
more to do with sin ; and pray as earnestly, that 
the power of it may be subdued in us, as that the 
guilt of it may be removed from us. May the God 
of peace sanctify us wholly. Renew us in the 
spirit of our minds ; and make us in every thing 
such as thou wouldst have us to be. Mortify our 
pride and clothe us vdth humility. Subdue our 
angry passions, and put on us the ornament of a 
meek and quiet spirit, which, in the sight of God, 
is of great price. Help us to crucify the flesh, 
with all its affections and lusts ; to keep under our 
body, and to bring it into subjection to the laws of 
reason and religion, that we may always possess 
our vessel in sanctification and honor. 



FOURTH WEEK. 143 

We pray thee to rectify all our mistakes. If in 
anything of moment we be in error, discover it to 
us, and let the Spirit of truth lead us into all truth. 
May we know the truth as it is in Jesus ; the 
truth which is according to godliness. Give us 
that good understanding which they have, who 
keep thy commandments. Convince us, we pray 
thee, more effectually of the vanity of the world, 
and its insufficiency to make us happy; of the vile- 
ness of sin, and its tendency to make us miserable; 
of the worth of our souls, and the awfulness of 
that everlasting state, on the borders of which we 
are standing ; and make us serious and diligent 
in our preparation for it. 

Prepare us, Lord, for whatever we may meet 
with between this and the grave. We know not 
what is before us, but thou knowest ; and we desire 
cheerfully to leave ourselves in thy hands, who 
orderest all things well. We beg of thee, to fit 
us by thy grace, for all the services, and all the 
suiferings to which thou mayest call us. Arm us 
against every temptation, and help us at all times, 
and in all conditions, to glorify God, to keep a 
good conscience, and to be found in the way of our 
duty, that we may maintain our hope and joy in 
Christ, and have a bright believing prospeet of eter" 
nal life. 



144 FOURTH WEEK. 

Bless abundantly all the members of this family 
and make us blessings to each other. Whether 
parents or children, masters or servants, old or 
young, help us faithfully to discharge the duties 
of our several stations, in an honorable, acceptable, 
and useful manner ; and give us all a happy meet- 
ing at last in the house eternal in the heavens. 

We pray for all who have this day heard the 
word of salvation. Grant unto them the mercies 
we ask for ourselves. Let thy ministers, who water 
others, be abundantly watered in their own souls» 
Strengthen them for their work, and give them 
success in it. Kemember in much mercy those, 
who, by thy Providence, have this day been kept 
from thy house, and grant them special supplies of 
thy grace. May such as have wilfully or igno- 
rantly absented themselves from thy courts, have 
their eyes opened to see, and their hearts awakened 
to feel their guilt and danger, and learn to flee 
from the wrath to come. Oh hasten the time, 
when thy house shall be a house of prayer for all 
nations, and the whole world shall worship in thy 
courts. 

We ask these mercies, together with thy care 
and protection this night, in the name and for the 
sake of him, who loved us and gave himself for us; 
to whom, with thee, the Father, and the Holy Spir- 
it, would we ascribe praises evermore. Amen.. 



FOURTH WEEK. 145 

Blonday Morning. 

Incomprehensibly great and glorious Jehovah! 
we are again this morning, in circumstances of 
goodness and mercy, permitted to lift up our hearts 
and voices unto thee. Thou didst make man at 
first after thine own image, a little lower than the 
angels, and crowned him with honor and glory ; 
but in our first parents we broke thy covenant, i^nd 
have fallen from this holy and happy condition, 
into a state of guilt, pollution, and misery. We 
are a seed of evil doers, who have gone astray from 
the right path ; and thy pure and perfect law hath 
justly concluded us all under sin, that every mouth 
may be stopped, and the whole world become guil- 
ty before God. 

But thou hast not left us altogether to ourselves, 
in this dark and forlorn situation, as thou mightest 
justly have done. Thine eye pitied us, and thine 
arm brought salvation. When the world by wis- 
dom knew not God, and the way of man was not 
in himseif to direct his steps, thou didst, at many 
times and in divers manners, in times past, speak 
to our fathers, by the prophets, and hast, in these 
last days, spoken still m.ore clearly and fully unto 
us, by thine own Son. Oh that thou w^ouldst en- 
gage us all, through the operation of the Holy 
Ghost, to make a saving application of this Son of 



14G . FOURTH WEEK. 

thine, unto ourselves, as the Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world ; to whom all the prophets 
gave witness, and who now once, in the end of the 
world, hath appeared, to put away sin by the sac- 
rifice of himself. 

Accept, Lord, this morning, our sincere and 
united thanks for the protection thou hast afforded 
us, and the refreshing sleep we have enjoyed during 
the past night. Be graciously present with us, 
through the whole of this day, and of this week, 
upon the secular employments of which we are now 
about to enter. Enable us to carry the spirit of 
our holy religion into all our transactions with the 
w^orld. May we especially in all things, be consci- 
entiously just, knowing that all, who do unright- 
eously, are an abomination unto the Lord. Help 
ns to guide our affairs with discretion, that we may 
have it in our power to show favor, and assist our 
neighbor, in whatsoever business he hath need of 
us, as becometh saints. Enable us upon all occa- 
sions, and in all circumstances, to show mercy, 
that we may never have mercy without judgment 
from thee. If it should please thee to crown our 
efforts with success, so that we shall increase and 
abound in the good things of tliis life, let our rising 
in the world only go hand in hand with the pres- 
ervation and comfortable subsistence of all around 
us. 



FOURTH WEEK. 147 

In the midst of all, Lord, help us from morn- 
ing to night, to take heed lest at any time our hearts 
be overcharged with the cares of this life ; remem- 
bering that thou hast expressly said : " He that 
maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent." 
Deliver us, we beseech thee, from the inordinate 
love of money, which is the root of all evil ; which, 
while some coveted after, they have erred from the 
faith, and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows. Let us not be over anxious to lay up for 
ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust 
doth corrupt, and where thieves may break through 
and steal ; but help us to lay up for ourselves treas- 
ures in heaven, that, where our treasure is, there 
our hearts may be also forever. 

Enable us, Lord, at all times to cherish in our 
hearts, a lively sense, both of the shortness and 
the uncertainty of time. May this engage us care- 
fully to redeem it, and so to number all our days, 
that we may employ them in habitual preparation 
for death. Give us, w^e beseech thee, this day our 
daily bread. Forgive our numberless failings and 
shortcomings in duty. Forbid that v/e should in- 
dulge either malice or envy in our hearts toward 
any fellow^ creature. May we not fall into temp- 
tation ; but should thy m\\ be otherwise, wilt thou 
enable us to resist and overcome such temptations 



148 FOURTH WEEK. 

as shall overtake us. And in the evening may we 
return to a throne of grace, with a conscience void 
of offence, and a heart filled with gratitude to thee, 
for the privileges and blessings of another day. 
Now unto the Three that bear record in heaven, 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be as- 
cribed, as is most due, all praise and power, domin- 
ion and glory, world without end. Amen. 



Monday Evening, 

God of all goodness, mercy, and grace ! we again 
a.ppear before thee as worshippers, and humbly 
ask, that thou wouldst hear our prayer, and give 
ear to the words of our mouth. Thou alone art 
worthy to be feared and to be had in reverence by 
all who are about thee. May we be filled witli 
feelings of becoming reverence and awe of thy 
majesty. We acknowledge, that we are unworthy 
of the least of all thy mercies, and much more so, 
of the distinguished privileges we enjoy. We are 
sinful by nature and by practice. Wert thou to 
deal with us as we deserve, we must expect to ex- 
perience from thee nothing but indignation and 
wrath. To us belong shame and confusion of face; 
but to thee mercy and forgiveness, that thou may- 
est be feared. 

Deal not vv^ith us according to our sins ; but look 



FOURTH WEEK. 119 

upon US in the face of thine anointed. Him would 
we hold up as our shield. To Christ alone would 
we look for pardon and acceptance with thee. He 
hath blotted out the hand writing of ordinances 
that was against us, and taken it out of the way, 
nailing it to the cross, thus fulfilling all righteous- 
ness ; and being the Mediator of a better covenant, 
hath brought in a better hope, by which we would 
draw nigh unto God. And thus looking, and thus 
hoping, would we not only humbly expect from 
thee, the pardon of all our sins, but even a com- 
fortable persuasion thereof in our own minds, with 
all those advantages which accompany or flow 
from it. 

Give us, Lord, that best evidence of acceptance, 
which ariseth from a conformity of mind and will 
to thee, and to our blessed Master. Let us receive 
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably. 
May none of us henceforward live unto ourselves. 
We are not our own ; for we are bought with a 
price. May we, therefore, glorify God in our 
body, and in our spirit, which are God's. 

We would, we hope and trust, form by thy grace, 
this evening, sincere resolutions, to live more and 
more soberly, honestly and godly, in this present 
evil world. And to this purpose, we humbly be- 
seech thee, to teach us to reflect seriously upon the 



150 i-^OURTH WEEK. 

shortness of life ; the rapidity with which our daySj 
and weeks, and months, and years, pass away. 
Help us to consider that our career may terminate 
every moment, when death shall summon us to 
judgment, and the consequences be eternal. Lord, 
teach us, therefore, so to number and improve 
every day as if we were certain it should be our 
last. May we not, like the foolish virgins, sleep 
or even slumber, in a cold outv/ard profession ; but 
having our loins girded, and our lamps burning, 
may we imitate the wise virgins^ ever watching and 
m^aking ready for the coming of our Lord; and 
thus may we hope to appear before him with con- 
fidence and holy joy. 

Keep us this night, God, under the shadow of 
thy wingSj and defend our bodies and souls from 
all evil. Refresh us with sleep, and if thou art 
pleased to grant us the privilege of another day in 
this state of probation, m^ay our renewed strength 
be employed to advance thy glory and promote the 
best interests of all around us. Continue still to 
be kind and favorable to all our relatives and 
friends. May we all be united in the same cove- 
nant of redemption here, and be permitted to enjoy 
its more glorious privileges together hereafter. 
Let the country in which we live^ continue to be the 
object of thy special care. If consistent with the 



J'OURTH WEEK. 151 

designs of thy Providence, may it never be the 
seat of war ; but be the constant abode of liberty 
and peace* We long for the time, ivhen wars 
shall cease to the ends of the earth, and there shall 
be nothing to hurt or destroy in all thy holy moun- 
tain. Hasten that happy time, God, and pre- 
pare the world for it. And now, the God of Is- 
rael cause us to go from his throne in peace, and 
with the hope of pardon and acceptance ; and to 
the Father, Son and blessed Spirit, be eternal 
praises. Amen. 



Tuesday Morning. 
Almighty God and everlasting Father ! thou 
art the source of every good, and the fountain of 
every blessing ; the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and in and through him, we would 
fondly hope, our God and Father. Help us to 
come and pour out our hearts before thee, with the 
same confidence and affection, with which children 
go to an earthly parent. Enable us to repose on 
thy love ; to tell thee all our desires, and all our 
sorrows ; and from the heart, to thank thee for all 
thy goodness to us. We have great and abundant 
cause, to bless thee, our God, for all that thou art 
in thyself, and for all that thou art to us. Thy 
mercies are new every morning. We have met to- 



152 rOUIlTH WEEK. 

gether around this family altar in peace and safety* 
Thou hast been our defence and our refuge. Let 
then the outgoings of the morning and of the even- 
ing praise thee. 

We thank thee more especially for all the mer- 
cies of redemption. In the Gospel of Christ, mer- 
cy and truth meet together, and righteousness and 
peace kiss each other. Thus can even we rejoice 
in thy power and justice, thy holiness, mercy and 
love ; and bless thee that the light of the knowl- 
edge of this thy glory shines, in the hearts of thy 
people, in the face of Jesus Christ. Blessed be 
thou, the just God, and the Saviour. 

Oh how unworthy are we of the least of thy 
mercies ! We are all sinful and guilty. We have 
turned every one to his own way. In many things 
we have all offended thee, and in all have we come 
short. From our youth up, even until now, have 
w^e been great sinners. We dare not justify our- 
selves in thy sight ; for, if we should attempt it, 
even our own mouths would condemn us. We have 
omitted to perform many plain duties. We have 
done many things for which our consciences justly 
accuse us. All our righteousnesses are defiled. 
All our prayers and services are polluted. 

Yet, spare us, good Lord, spare us, according 
to thy great compassion and thy tender mercy. 



FOURTH WEEK. 153 

Lord God of our salvation, it is thy gracious prom- 
ise on which our souls rely, that if we confess our 
sins, thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We, 
therefore, now confess our sins, and ask that they 
may be forgiven, and our souls purified from all 
uncleanness. We plead th}^ mercy ; for Jesus bore 
our sins in his own body on the tree. We plead 
thy faithfulness, according to thy many precious 
promises. Cleanse, we beseech thee, the thoughts 
of our hearts, by the influence of thy Holy Spirit, 
that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily mag- 
nify thy holy name. 

Strengthen us for the duties of this day. Suffer 
us not to be tempted above what we are able to 
bear ; but with every temptation, make a way of 
escape. Incline and enable us to walk in that way. 
Hold thou up our goings in thy paths, that our 
footsteps slip not. Set a watch before our mouths, 
and keep the door of our lips, that we offend not 
with our tongue. May we always speak that 
which is good to the use of edifying, that it may 
minister grace to the hearers. Enable us also to 
keep our heart with all diligence, seeing that out 
of it, are the issues of life. Increase our faith, 
enliven our hope, and enlarge our charity, that we 
may faithfully serve thee, and in all things glorify 
thy name. 11 



154 FOURTH WEEK. 

We pray for all our relatives and friends. Give 
them prosperity both of body and soul. Grant 
that grace and peace may be multiplied to all those 
who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ* 
Seek and save the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 
Let the light of life also shine into every benight- 
ed heart. Increase especially among the people of 
this nation, the number of those who know, and 
love, and serve thee. Bless our rulers, and guide 
our statesmen ; teach thy ministers and prosper 
thy people, that there may be no complaining in 
our streets ; and that it may be said of us, " Hap- 
py is the people, that is in such a case ; yea, hap- 
py is that people, whose God is the Lord." 

These prayers we offer up in the name, and 
through the mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ our 
Lord, Avho hath taught us to pray, 

Our Father, kc. 



Tuesday Evening. 
THOU, who art the God of all the famihes 
of the earth, and who didst favorably notice Abra- 
ham's commanding his children after him, to keep 
the way of the Lord ; be thou present vdth us now, 
and enable us, by thy Holy Spirit, and through 
thy Son's intercession, to worship thee in spirit 
and in truth. We come before thee, acknowledg- 



FOURTH WEEK. 155 

ing that we were all born in sin, the children of 
wrath, and have in common a corrupt nature and 
a continued propensity to depart from thee. And 
Oh ! how often have we offended thee, the God of 
all the earth, by actual transgressions ! Even 
during the day that is past, have we, by vain 
thoughts, by idle words, by sinful indulgences, 
grieved thy Spirit, and incurred thy displeasure. 
Our only refuge is in thy promised mercy in Christ 
Jesus. We cast ourselves wholly on that mercy. 
Fixing all our hopes on our Saviour Jesus, we con- 
fess our guilt, and earnestly pray that his blood 
may cleanse us from all sin. 

Give us, we beseech thee, the comfortable as- 
surance, that all our sins are forgiven. Let thy 
Holy Spirit bear witness with our spirits that we 
are the children of God. Plentifully impart to us 
the gift of thy Spirit, that we may bring forth 
loye, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, 
long-suffering, forbearance, and temperance. Grant 
that we may so copy the example of our Saviour, 
as to be the epistles of Christ, knov/n and read of 
all men ; and have clear evidence of our own salva- 
tion. Teach us so to live, that we may glorify 
thee, who hast bought us with a price of such 
amazing value as the blood of thine own Son. 

Oh that all now kneeling before thee, may in- 



156 FOURTH WEEK. 

deed obtain mercy in Christ Jesus, pass from death 
unto life, and love and serve thee unfeignedly. 
But, Lord, how cold is our love to thee, how dull, 
how dead are our hearts ! Help us to love thee, 
our God, with all our heart, with all our mind, with 
all our soul, and with all our strength. Shed 
abroad the love of God in our hearts, by giving us 
the Holy Ghost, and may we be taught of God to 
love one another. Be thou present with us in our 
more retired devotions. Praying to our Father, 
which is in secret in our closet, may we find his 
presence and blessing there. 

Bless, Lord, all who are near and dear unto 
us. Many beloved relatives and friends are now 
absent from us ; but thou art with them, and all 
their wants are known to thee. Give them thy 
grace. Ever guide them here by thy counsel, and 
may none of them be wanting in thy heavenly 
kingdom. We pray for all in authority. May 
their counsels be ordered by thee, as m.ay be most 
for the good of our country. Grant, we beseech 
thee, to all ministers of Jesus Christ every where, 
true knowledge and understanding of thy vrord ; 
and may they set it forth in their lives according- 
ly. Make them wise to win souls. Lord, call 
forth, and send out many faithful laborers to the 
work of the ministry. May the distant isles wait 



rOUKTII WEEK. 157 

on thee, and the Gentiles come to thy light. Bless 
every society established for benefitting the bodies 
or the souls of men, and especially those, in which 
we are more immediately engaged and interested. 
Thanks be unto thee, Lord, for all thy good- 
ness toward us. How multiplied are thy mercies 
every day ! How excellent is thy loving-kindness ! 
We bless thee for all thy long-sufiering and for- 
bearance toward us. We bless thee for the infinite 
mercies of redeeming love. We bless thee for the 
knowledge of thy salvation, and for the light of 
thy truth; for protection from every danger during 
the night, and provision for all our wants by day. 
Thou hast spread our table with food, and thou 
givest us every needful good. Accept these our 
prayers and our praises, which we offer up in and 
through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Ad- 
vocate. Amen. 



Wednesday Morning. 
Almighty and most merciful Father ! we ac- 
knowledge ourselves to be sinners before thee. 
We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost 
sheep. We have followed too much the devices and 
desires of our own hearts. We have offended against 
thy holy laws. We have left undone those things, 
which we ought to have done ; and we have done 



158 POtlHTit WEEK. 

those things which we ought not fco have done ; and 
there is no health in us. But have thou, Lord, 
mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou 
those, Godj who confess their faults. Restore 
thou those that are penitent, according to thy prom- 
ise declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesus our 
Lord. 

And grant, most merciful Father, for his sake, 
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and 
sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Help 
us, especially^ thus to live through the day upon 
which we have entered. Bless us in all our ways; 
and whatever we do, may we do it heartily as unto 
thee, with an eye single to thy glory, and in hum- 
ble dependence on thy fatherly protection. En- 
lighten our understanding ; control our w^ills, and 
sanctify our affections. Preserve us so in our ways, 
that neither the pleasures, nor the cares, nor the 
honors of this life, may turn away our thoughts 
from the life vfhich is to come. May we learn and 
labor daily to live above the world, and to follow 
all our occupations in it with a heavenly mind. 

Enable us faithfully to discharge our several 
duties to thee and to our fellow creatures, that we 
may be useful in our generation among men, and 
steadfast in our covenant with thee. Having had 
much forgiven of thee, may we love thee much^ and 



FOURTH WEEK. 159 

strive to please thee in all our ways. And grant 
that nothing may ever separate between us and 
thee^ by causing us to grow weary of thy service. 
But may we keep thy covenant forever, and think 
upon thy commandments to do them, finding thy 
yoke easy and thy burden light ; yea, accounting 
thy service perfect freedom, and the very joy of 
our heart. 

We desire to offer up our unfeigned thanksgiv* 
ing for the good which thou mayest already have 
wrought in us, and for every mercy, which thca 
hast vouchsafed to our bodies and our souls. Pay 
by day we give thanks unto thee, and praise thy 
name* 

We beseech thee, Lord, to embrace with the 
arms of thy mercy, not only ourselves^ but all who 
partake of our fallen nature. Pitj and convert 
the wicked. May they no longer make a mock at 
sin, but learn to tremble at that T^rath, which thou 
hast revealed against all ungodliness and unright- 
eousness of men, fearing th^e who art able to de- 
stroy both body and soul in hell. Give them grace 
to stand in awe of thy judgment, and to sin no 
more. Bless thy faithful people with knowledge 
and good understanding in the ways of godliness ; 
and let not the children of this world be wiser in 
their generation than the children of light. 



160 FOURTH WEEK. 

And since many are the afflictions of the right- 
eous. Lord remember them, and all their troubles; 
yea, may they be had before thee in everlasting 
remembrance. Though troubled on every side, 
let them not be distressed ; though perplexed, let 
them not be in despair; though persecuted, let 
them not be forsaken ; though cast down, let them 
not be destroyed. In all their afflictions be thou 
afflicted, and let the angel of thy presence save 
them. In thy love and in thy pity, do thou re- 
d^iem them ; and bear them, and carry them, as in 
the days of old. Grant that every affliction, though 
not fo^ the present joyous, but grievous, may yield 
the peaceable fruits of righteousness to such as are 
exercised thereby. And do thou bring them, at 
the last, to that place of rest and peace, where 
thou wilt wip^ away all tears from their faces ; 
where there sha'i be no more sorrow, nor crying ; 
neither shall there be any more pain ; and the form- 
er things shall pass ^,way. 

Assist us mercifuU}-, Lord, in these our sup- 
plications and prayers ; and dispose the way of 
thy servants toward the a'ltainment of everlasting 
salvation, that, among all ihe changes and chan- 
ces of this mortal life, we may ever be defended by 
thy most gracious and ready help, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. 
Our Father, &c. 



FOURTH WEEK. 161 

Wednesday Evening. 
Lord, thou hast been our refuge from one gen- 
eration to another. Before the mountains Tvere 
brought forth, or ever the earth and the worlds were 
made, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art 
God. Upon thy mercy seat in the heavens, thou 
waitest to be gracious ; and we, thy sinful creatures, 
draw nigh unto thee, as unto God in Christ, re- 
conciling the world unto thyself, not imputing their 
trespasses unto them. We trust, Lord, to the 
word of thy promise, that though we have sinned, 
we have an Advocate with thee, Jesus Christ the 
righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins, and 
not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. 
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and 
the truth is not in us ; but if we confess our sins, 
thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We 
pray thee, therefore, to create and make in us new 
and contrite hearts ; that we, worthily lamenting 
our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may 
obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect re- 
mission and forgiveness. Eegard us no longer as 
children of wrath, but as dear children ; heirs of 
the kingdom of heaven, and joint heirs with Christ. 
Satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon, that we 
may rejoice and be glad in thee all our days. 



1G2 FOURTH WEEKc 

Grant its, according to the riches of thy glory^ 
to be strengthened with might, by thy Spirit, in 
the inner man. Let Christ dwell in our hearts by 
faith, that being rooted and grounded in love, we 
may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what 
is the breadthj and length, and depth, and height, 
and to know the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge, that we may be filled with all the 
fulness of thee our God. 

Thou hast brought and defended us, heavenly 
Father, through the dangers of another day ; and 
hast blessed us with every needful blessing, in our 
going out and coming in. But we beseech thee^ 
God of the spirits of all flesh, in whom alone we 
live, and move, and have our being, to touch our 
hearts with the solemn and aflFecting truth, that 
we know not what shall be on the morrow. Keep 
us constantly mindful, that in the midst of life, we 
are in death. Of whom may we seek for succor 
but of thee, Lord, who for our sins, art justly 
displeased? Yet, Lord God most holy, OLord, 
most mighty, holy and merciful Saviour, thou 
most worthy judge eternal, suffer us not at our last 
hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. 

Give ear, Lord, to our prayers for our fellow 
creatures. Put the ungodly in fear, that they may 
know themselves to be but men. Incline them se- 



FOURTH WEEK. IG 



D 



I'lously to think on their "ways, and turn their feet 
unto thy testimonies. Let all those who trust in 
thee rejoice, because their redemption draweth 
nigh ; and their salvation is nearer than when they 
first believed. Be gracious unto such as, in this 
transitory world, are suffering, either for their 
sins or for righteousness sake : and sanctify their 
sufferings to the good of their souls. 

Lastly, we pray thee. Almighty God, with whom 
do live the spirits of just men made perfect, after 
they are delivered from their earthly prisons, to 
look with compassion on all whom the sorrow's of 
death are encompassing about. We commend their 
souls into thy hands, as into the hands of a faith- 
ful Creator and most merciful Saviour ; humbly 
beseeching thee, that they may be precious in thy 
sight. Wash them in the blood of that spotless 
Lamb, that was slain to take away the sins of the 
world, that thev may be presented pure, and with- 
out spot before tlaee. 

And teach us, who survive, in every daily spec- 
tacle of mortality, to remember how frail and un- 
certain our own condition is ; and so to number our 
days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 
Grant, that neither the splendor of anything that 
is great, nor the conceit of anything that is good 
in us, may withdraw our eyes from looking upon 



164 FOURTH WEEK. 

ourselves as sinful dust and ashes ; but tliat we 
may press forward to the prize of the high calling 
that is before us, in faith and patience, humility 
and meekness, mortification and self-denial, chari- 
ty and constant perseverance unto the end ; and 
all this for thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, 
to whom, with thee, and the Holy Ghoat, be all 
honor and glory, world without end. 
Our Father, &c. 



Thursday Morning. 

Behold us, good and gracious God, at the 
footstool of thy grace this morning. We come to 
present our humble and sincere adorations to the 
Author of our life, and the lengthener out of our 
days ; for it is to thee, that we are indebted for 
our preservation during the past nighfi ; and thou 
alone hast caused us to see the beginning of this 
day. Let thy gracious presence be with us during 
the course of it, and all the succeeding days and 
nights of our earthly pilgrimage. 

We acknowledge ourselves to be unworthy of thy 
favor and love ; but, that thou mayest hear us, not- 
withstanding our sinfulness and unworthiness, look 
upon us, God, in the face of thine Anointed ; 
and cause us to be partakers of all the blessed fruits 
of his death and resurrection. We look to the un- 



FOURTH WEEK. 165 

searchable riches of Christ, that we may see what 
is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the 
beginning of the world hath been hid in God ; who 
not only created all things by Christ, but was in 
him reconciling the world unto himself; and hath 
now exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to 
give repentance unto his people, as well as the re- 
mission of all their sins. Oh that our bodies may 
henceforth be the temples of God, through the 
Holy Spirit, dwelhng in us, and uniting us to Jesus 
Christ by a true and living faith. We would count 
all things but loss, that we may win Christ, and 
be found in him, not having our own righteousness, 
which is of the laAv, but that which is through the 
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God 
by faith ; and that we may know him and the pow- 
er of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his 
sufferings, and be made conformable unto his death; 
not as though we had already attained, either were 
already perfect ; but this one thing we desire to do: 
'' Forgetting those things vrhich are behind, and 
reaching forth unto those which are before, we 
would press toward the mark for the prize of the 
high calling of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Thou knowest, God, and we would, at the 
same time, acknowledge and confess, the weakness 
and corruption of our nature, and to how many 



166 FOURTH WEEK. 

dangers and temptations we are continually ex- 
posed. Lord, give us thy strength, and thy grace, 
to preserve and keep us at all times. Let neither 
the world nor the flesh, this day seduce us from 
the paths of duty ; but ever thinking and acting as 
under God's more immediate inspection, may we 
keep in the love and fear of all God's holy com- 
mandments. Teach us in every circumstance, 
God, to know thy will, and give us inclination and 
ability to do it. Continue of thy bounty to pro- 
vide for all our necessities ; and support and com- 
fort us under every disappointment and trial which 
thou mayest see proper to bring upon us. May 
we live in thy fear and die in thy favor, and so be 
made both happy and glorious through eternity. 

For thy distinguishing, although unmerited 
goodness and mercy toward us, and all who are 
near and dear to us, we once more offer up our 
united thanksgivings ; saying, at the same time. 
Let every creature that is in heaven, and on earth, 
give glory to God for ever and ever. And now. 
Lord, what wait we for ? our hope is in thee. Let 
the words of our mouth, and the meditations of our 
hearts, be acceptable in thy sight, Lord, our 
strength and our Eedeemer. Amen. 



FOUKTH WEEK.. 167 

Tliursday Eveni7ig. 

Lord our G od, with humble gratitude we would 
appear in thy presence this evenings to bless thy 
name for our preservation hitherto ; and more es- 
pecially, for the renewed tokens of thy kindness 
and love during the past day. May our humble 
and sincere thanks to God for his mercies ascend 
now as incense, and the lifting of our hands be as 
acceptable as the evening sacrifices of old. When 
we recollect the mercies of the past day, God, 
and thy goodness towards us ever since w^e had a 
being, our souls should be overwhelmed with won- 
der, love, and gratitude. But ah ! how cold and 
insensible are they, and w^hat poor returns of love 
do we make ! Lord, forgive the past, and make 
us more grateful to thee in future. We have not 
rendered unto the Lord according to the benefits 
done unto us ; and if thou Lord, shouldst be strict 
to mark our deficiencies, alas ! where would be our 
hope ? What, indeed, would our situation be, 
were thou not a God of infinite mercy, and were 
not severity and judgment thy strange work. 

Yet thy mercy, Lord, is everlasting and thy 
compassions fail not. Thou hast said, '^ As I 
live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wick- 
ed ; but that the wicked turn from his way and 
live.'* And again : " Come now, and let us reason 



168 FOURTH WEEK. 

together : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
be as white as snow ; though they be red like crim- 
son, they shall be as wool." "Who then is a God 
like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and pass- 
eth by the transgression of thy people ; who retain- 
est not thine anger, because thou delightest in 
mercy ? For the display of this attribute, and 
that a solid foundation might be laid for our hope, 
thou didst not spare thine only begotten Son, but 
sent him in due time, to suffer and die in the room 
of sinners. It is a faithful saying, and not only 
worthy of all acceptation, but of our highest and 
daily praise, that " God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespas- 
ses unto them;" and hath committed to his servants, 
in every age, the word of reconciliation. Forbid 
it, then, heavenly Father, that any of us here 
present, should be amongst that unhappy number, 
to whom thy Son shall at last say : " Ye would not 
come unto me, that ye might have life." But 
deeply sensible of our present sinful and miserable 
state, convinced that there is no other name under 
heaven by which we can be saved, and divinely 
persuaded of the willingness, as well as all-suffi- 
ciency of the Son of God, for this purpose, may we 
each, in due time, believe to the saving of the soul. 
Through him alone we look for pardon, for justifi- 



JFOURTtt WEEK. 169 

t^ation, for adoption into the family of heaven, and 
for a renovation of all the powers and faculties of 
our mind and soul, to enlighten and fit us for a 
holy practice. 

We knoWj from past experienccj that we are not 
sufficient of ourselves, either to will or to do ; but 
thy grace is sufficient for us, and thy strength can 
be perfected in our weakness. We pray that the 
law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ, may 
make us free from the law of sin and death. We 
shall then, O God, enjoy comfort through life, 
peace at death and glory in heaven. 

This night would we again commend ourselves, 
and all who are near and dear to us, unto thy fath- 
erly care and special protection. Preserve us from 
€very danger, and let us never be separated from 
thy love in Christ Jesus. Grant, God, the par- 
don of all the sins which we have committed during 
the past day; as well those that lie heavy on our 
tjonsciences, as those, which through infirmity we 
have forgotten. Give thine angels charge, God, 
in a particular manner, with respect to this family, 
that the heads thereof, the children, and ali be- 
longing to it, may be preserved from the malice 
and power of the prince of darkness. Should our 
souls be required at our hands this night, may we 
be ready to resign them into the arms of a cove- 
12 



170 FOURTH WEEI^. 

Bant God in Christ ; but should our life be spared^ 
may we more cheerfully and entirely dedicate it to 
him, unto whom it best belongs, and who alone can 
make us happy here and hereafter. Now unto the 
King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only 
wise God, be honor, and glory ; for of him, and 
through him, and to him, are all things* Amen. 



Friday Morning^ 
Almighty God, whose ears are always open to 
the petitions of thy humble servants, unto thee 
would we lift up our souls. We would seek thee 
whilst thou mayest be found, and call upon thee, 
whilst thou art near. Dispose us ever to direct 
our prayer to thee and to look up ; and daily at 
thy footstool to wait for thy blessing, more than 
they who watch for the morning. Let every day 
begin with thee. For thou, Lord, art a God full 
of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and 
plenteous in goodness and truth. How precious 
are thy thoughts which are to-us-ward ! Thou 
hast protected us during the hours of darkness; for 
the darkness to us is no darkness to thee ; but the 
night shineth as the day ; the darkness and the 
light to thee are both alike. We have slept and 
awoke, and are still with thee. Thou art a God 
at hand, and not afar off ; and none can hide them- 



FOURTH week; 171 

selves in secret places, where thou canst not see 
them. 

We humble ourselves before thee, for the sins 
which thy all-seeing eyes have beheld in the 
course of our lives. Very grievous are they, 
Lord, and more than we are able to express ; and 
not one of them is forgotten before thee. If thou 
shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss, 
Lord, who may abide it ? We confess that our 
hearts cannot endure, nor our hands be strong in 
that day, when thou shalt deal with us, if thou 
deal with us according to our sins, and reward us 
according to our iniquities. But we beseech thee, 
Lord, deal not thus with thy servants. Blot out 
the handwriting that is against us; and take it out 
of the way, nailing it to the Cross of thy beloved 
Son. Grant unto us redemption through his blood, 
even the forgiveness of sins, according to the rich- 
es of thy grace. May we be washed ; may we be 
sanctified ; may we be justified, in the name of the 
Lord Jesus, and by thy Spirit, Lord God. 

Let a sense of thy presence abide with us this 
day. May we set thee always before us, remem- 
bering that thou, God, seest us. And since unto 
thee all hearts are open, all desires known, and 
from thee no secrets are hid, cleanse, we beseech 
theCj the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration 



1T2 FOtJKTII WEEit, 

of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, 
and worthily magnify thy holy name. And while 
we acknowledge thee in all our ways, do thou in 
mercy direct our paths. As thou didst vouchsafe 
to lead thy people Israel in safety through the 
wilderness, going before them by day in a pillar of 
cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night ; so be thou 
mercifully pleased to lead and protect us in the 
Way in which we should go. Stand continually at 
our right hand, that we may not be moved* 
Strengthen us with the Holy Ghost, the Comfor- 
ter ; and daily increase in us, thy manifold gifts 
of grace ; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, 
the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of 
knowledge and true piety ; and fill us, Lord, 
with thy holy fear, now and evermore. 

We beseech thee also, Lord, to give imto our 
fellow creatures, a due reverence of thy holy pres- 
ence. May the ungodly remember that thou knowest 
their manifold transgressions ; and that there is no 
darkness or shadow of death, where the workers of 
iniquity may hide their heads. May those who 
have hitherto been deceiving themselves or others, 
with vain professions of religion, be brought to see 
that they cannot deceive thee ; and so may be led 
to seek thee in truth and sincerity. Lord, we 
beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and 



FOUKTII WEEK. 173 

defenrl thy Church : and because it cannot contin- 
ue in safety without thy succor, preserve it ever- 
more by thy help and goodness. Let thy presence 
comfort and support thy afflicted people ; and be a 
refuge to them in all their troubles. 

Furthermore, we pray thee to dwell in the hearts 
of all who are near and dear to us ; and to make 
them a holy temple in the Lord, the habitation of 
thy blessed Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Sa- 
viour and Redeemer. 

Our Father, &c. 



Friday Evening. 

Almighty and most merciful God ! thou art the 
helper of all who flee to thee for succor, the life of 
them who believe and the resurrection of the dead. 
Do thou graciously receive us, seeing thou hast 
commanded us by thy well-beloved Son, to ask, 
and promised us, that we shall receive; to seek and 
we shall find : and to knock, and it shall be open- 
ed unto us. We draw nigh unto thee in his great 
name, trusting to thy word, that whosoever believ- 
eth in thy beloved Son shall be saved. And we 
beseech thee to grant that we may come unto him 
this night, weary and heavy laden with the burden 
of our sins, and may thus find rest to our souls. 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so 



174 FOURTH WEEK. 

great let thy mercy be toward us. Far as the east 
is from the west, so far do thou remove oar trans- 
gressions from us. Yea, like as an earthly father 
pitieth his children, so do thou, our heavenly Fath- 
er, pity and have mercy upon us. Adopt us into 
thy family ; take away our guilt ; accept our per- 
sons ; and reconcile us unto thyself, through the 
blood of thy beloved Son. We pray thee also, 
Lord, to shew unto us more of the evil of sin, that 
we may know more of thy wonderful grace and 
mercy in pardoning it ; and more of the loving- 
kindness of God our Saviour, in dying to redeem 
us from it. 

the depths of the riches of thy wisdom, thy 
knowledge, and thy love ! Thou, God, the mer- 
ciful and gracious Lord, hast so done thy marvel- 
lous works, that they ought to be had in remem- 
brance. Thou hast sent redemption unto thy peo- 
ple ; thou hast commanded thy covenant forever; 
holy and reverend is thy name. It is a good thing 
to give thanks unto thee, Lord ; and to sing 
praises unto thy name, thou. Most High ; to 
shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and 
thy faithfulness every night. We, thy unworthy 
servants, therefore, do give thee most humble and 
hearty thanks, for all thy goodness and loving- 
kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for 



FOURTH WEEK. 175 

our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of 
this life ; but, above all, for thine inestimable love 
in the redemption of the world, by our Lord Jesus 
Christ ; for the means of grace, and the hope of 
glory. And we beseech thee, give us a due 
sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be 
unfeignedly thankful, and that we may show forth 
thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, 
by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walk- 
ing before thee in holiness and righteousness all 
our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Vouchsafe, Lord, to hear our prayers for those 
whom it is our duty and our desire to remember at 
the throne of thy grace. May it please thee, to 
bring into the way of truth, all such as have erred, 
and are decei%^ed. Do thou defend and bless all 
who are in authority, and rule their hearts in thy 
faith, fear, and love, that they may ever seek thy 
honor and glory. Guide and protect our magis- 
trates, that they may be a terror to evil doers, and 
for the praise of them that do well. Illuminate 
all the manisters of thy blessed Gospel with true 
knowledge and understanding of thy word ; that 
both by their preaching and living, they may set 
it forth and show it accordingly. May it please 
thee, to bless all who believe in Christ Jesus, and 
to give them grace to continue faithful unto death. 



176 FOURTH WEEK. 

Look with favor upon the rising generation, espe- 
cially upon the generation of those who seek thee, 
and of all our kindred, friends and neighbors. 
Grant that the children of this family, as they 
grow in stature, may grow in wisdom and in grace, 
and in favor with thee and man ; and thus may be- 
come thy sons and daughters, Lord Almighty, 
And finally, we ask that thou wouldst stand at the 
right hand of the poor and destitute, and be unto 
them a tower of strength against all their enemies. 

Grant, Lord, these our petitions, through the 
merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and 
reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, 
world without end. 

Our Father, &c. 



Saturday 31ormng. 

TIIOU who art the Creator and Preserver of 
all things ! behold us again, this morning, at the 
footstool of thy throne of mercy. Permitted by 
thy grace, and encouraged by thy word, we draAV 
near to adore thy perfections, and to give thee 
thanks for the many favors conferred upon us. 
We come also to confess our sinfulness and unwor- 
thiness, and to plead for thy pardoning mercy and 
recovering grace. 

Who is like unto thee, thou great, eternal, 



FOURTH WEEK. 177 

invisible, and incomprehensible object of our spirit- 
ual worship ? Before all things thou didst exist ; 
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art the only 
living and true God, infinite in wisdom, power, 
goodness and mercy. Of thy good-will and 
pleasure thou didst at first bring us out of nothing 
into existence. The exalted rank we are permit- 
ted to hold in the scale of being, demands our con- 
stant and most grateful acknowledgments. We 
are wiser than the fowls of heaven, and have more 
understanding than the beasts that perish. We 
bless thee, that we are endued with rational and 
immortal souls, and made capable of knowing, 
worshipping and enjoying thee. 

We would express our thankfulness this morning 
for all that care, protection, and kindness, which 
we experienced from our birth to the present hour; 
for sparing us in childhood, guiding us in youth, 
and preserving us amidst the numberless diseases 
and dangers of riper years. We thank thee for 
our daily food, for our warm and decent clothing, 
for all the necessaries of life, and those many con- 
veniences and comforts which we enjoy beyond 
thousands of our fellow creatures around us. But 
above all, we would ever adore and praise our God 
for his inestimable love and grace in Jesus Christ. 
We had destroyed ourselves, but in thee help was 



178 FOURTH WEEK. 

found. When there was n^ eye to pity, nor hand 
to help, thou didst send thy Son to be the Saviour 
of the world. 

We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only 
true Messiah, and that he died for our offences, 
and rose again for our justification. We fly to thee 
in him, as the only foundation for pardon, reconcil- 
iation, adoption into the family of heaven, and 
every spiritual blessing. let the Holy Spirit be 
given unto us, to seal our souls unto the day of 
redemption. Let him be as a Spirit of wisdom to 
guide us at all times; as a Spirit of holiness, to re- 
generate and cleanse our souls from every impure 
desire ; and as a Spirit of might and power, to 
strengthen us, that we may be neither ashamed, 
nor afraid, when we have respect unto all thy holy 
commandments. Lord, we are poor, short-sighted 
creatures, and know not what temporal blessings to 
ask at thy hands ; (or we know not what shall 
eventually be best for us. If consistent with thy 
will, may we hope that goodness and mercy shall 
still follow us. 

YVhat are we, and what is our father's house, 
that thou hast brought us up hitherto ? When we 
think of what we have received, God, and com- 
pare it with what we deserve, we are lost in won- 
der and astonishment at thy goodness. May a 



FOURTH WEEK. 179 

sense of thy goodness to us lead us to gratitude and 
humility, to repentance, and to a mindfulness of 
our latter end ; for we know not what is between 
us and the grave. Thou mayest yet see meet to 
teach us in the school of adversity. Should this 
be the case, help us to say, " It is the Lord's will; 
let him do what seemeth him good. Shall we re- 
ceive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we 
not also receive evil?" Lay not upon us more 
than thou wilt enable us to bear, that the issue of 
all shall be for thy glory, and for our greater good. 
Lord, accept our sincere thanks for that freedom 
from pain, both of body and mind, which we have 
enjoyed during the past night. Many, no doubt, 
have spent the might in anguish and distress. Oh 
that thou wouldst take pity on such, and in thy 
good time release them ; and elevate all our hearts 
toward that time and place, when God shall ^\ipe 
away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no 
more death ; neither sorrow nor crying ; neither 
shall there be any more pain ; the former things 
being forever passed away. Until this period come; 
until death, which leadeth unto it, may we all be 
kept in a waiting posture. May we watch as well 
as pray, that we be actually^ as well as hahitiially ^ 
prepared for death ; for blessed are those ser- 
vants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find 
watching. 



180 rOURTII WEEK, 

Now, unto him, who supplieth all our need, ac- 
cording to his riches in glory, by Jesus Christ ; to 
the Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, 
the Word, and the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, 
thanksgiving and praise, for ever and ever. Amen. 



Saturday Evening, 

Lord, thou art the God of all the families of 
the earth ; but especially of those, in which thy 
name is known, and loved, and honored. What- 
ever may be the disposition of others, we desire to 
say. As for us, and our house, we will serve the 
Lord. Thou art the best of all masters ; for thou 
hast promised to bear with our infirmities, and to 
suffer us to want no good thing. Already hast 
thou laid us under infinite obligations to thee, as 
the God of providence and the God of grace. Thou 
hast dealt well with thy servants, Lord. Bless 
the Lord, our souls, and all that is within us, 
bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, our souls, 
and forget not all his benefits. 

By thy good hand upon us, have we been con- 
ducted through the perils, not only of another day, 
but also of another week. Whilst many, during 
this period, have been exposed to hunger and cold, 
we have been fed and clothed by thy bounty. Mul- 
titudes have also been suddenly called from time to 



^'OUKTil WEEK. 181 

eternity ; but God is still holding our soul in life. 
Night after night have we laid ourselves down to 
sleep, and we have awakened in the morning re- 
freshed, for the Lord sustained us. For all this 
We would be thankful to thee, Lord, who makest 
us to dwell in safety. But we would especially 
thank thee, for the continuance of our spiritual 
privileges and comforts. Blessed be God, that our 
land is still the land of Gospel light and liberty ; 
and that we can worship thee both in private and 
public, without any one daring to disturb us, ot 
make us afraid. Oh grant that we may never un- 
dervalue or abuse these privileges, knov/ing, that 
if we do so, our guilt and condemnation will be the 
severer in the day of judgment* 

We desire to be more and more thankful for the 
means of grace, and all the ordinances of divine 
appointment. May the daily reading of thy word 
increase our spiritual knowledge, confirm our faith, 
and animate our hopes. Let our morning and 
evening sacrifices keep us in a holy and watchful 
frame through the day, and dispose us to resign 
ourselves to thy gracious keeping through the night. 
May the return of every Sabbath be looked for- 
ward to with increasing delight ! Make us thank- 
ful for the approach of the one which is now near 
at hand. Shouldst thou be pleased in thy good- 



182 FOURTH WEE1C» 

ness, and by thine all-protecting providence, to 
spare lis to see the light of another morning, may 
we all be in the Spirit upon the Lord's day, and 
worship God, who is a Spirit, in spirit and in truth* 
We would not forsake the assembling of ourselves 
together, as the manner of some is. May we love 
the habitation of thy house, and the place where 
thine honor dwelleth. Thither would our willing 
feet repair^ that we may publish with the voice of 
thanksgiving, God^s manifold mercies, and tell of 
all his wondrous works. Bless thy ministering 
servants in their studies and preparation for the 
duties of the Sabbath. May they be as scribes, 
who are well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven^ 
and bring forth out of the treasures of thy word, 
things new and old. May they convince and con- 
vert sinners, and build up and comfort the saints. 
Permit us once more, to commit to thy care and 
keeping, our absent relatives and friends. Al- 
though at a distance from us, may they be nigh unto 
the Lord our God day and night, that he may main- 
tain their cause at all times. Be merciful to the 
sick and afflicted everywhere. Whatever be the 
cause or the event of their present visitation, may 
they have reason to say with thy servant of old, 
" It is good for us that we have been afflicted ; for 
thereby have we learned thy statutes." Have 



FOURTH WEEIv. 183 

cotnpassion upon a world lying in wickedness. Send 
abroad thy light and thy truth unto the earth's re- 
motest bound. Hasten the time, when the JewSj 
with the fulness of the Gentiles, shall be brought 
into thy kingdom ; and when Jesus shall reign in 
the hearts of the children of men. King of nations^ 
as he now reigns King of saints. 

This night we again commit ourselves and all our 
concerns to thy paternal care and keeping, in the 
hope of being raised up in the morning to see and 
enjoy another day of the Son of man. For his 
sake, we ask every blessing. And to him, with 
thee, Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all glory, 
and praise, and hum.ble worship, forever. Amen. 



184 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

COMMUNION SABBATH. 

Morning. 
Holy and most gracious Lord our God ! thoit 
wilt by no means clear the guilty; yet thou sparest 
those who confess their sins unto thee. Look down 
with compassion upon us, thy unworthy servants^ 
who are now humbled before thee, imploring thy 
fatherly forgiveness. We acknowledge ourselves 
to be miserable sinners. We cannot set all our 
transgressions in order before thee, nor confess 
them as truly as we ought to do. Yet we desire 
not to cloak and dissemble them before thy face^ 
trusting to thy word, that if We confess our sins, thou 
art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Be merciful 
to us, we most humbly beseech thee, in Jesus Christ 
thy Son ; for we put our whole trust and confi- 
dence in thy mercy ; and not in any thing that we 
do. We have destroyed ourselves ; but in thee is 
our help. Save, Lord, or we perish ; for there is 
salvation in no other. To whom else should we 
go ? Thou only hast the words of eternal life. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 185 

Grant unto us, Lord, we beseech thee, pardon 
and peace, .that we may be cleansed from all our 
sins. 

We praise thee for the multitude of thy bless- 
ings with which thou hast favored us, and especial- 
ly for the many opportunities we have enjoyed, of 
becoming wise unto salvation. What shall wo an- 
swer to thee this day, for all the benefits which 
thou hast conferred upon us ? We will take of the 
cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the 
Lord. We will pay our vows in the courts of thy 
house, and in the presence of all thy people. 

We give thee humble and most hearty thanks, that 
thou hast given us thy Son, not only to die for us; 
but also to be our spiritual food and substance in 
the sacrament of his body and blood. Dispose our 
hearts this day to receive this sacrament religious- 
ly and devoutly, in remembrance of his merito- 
rious cross and passion ; whereby alone we obtain 
the remission of our sins, and are made partakers 
of the kingdom of heaven. Teach us to consider 
properly the dignity of the holy mystery therein 
set forth, and so to search and examine our own 
consciences, that we may come holy and clean to 
such a heavenly feast, in the wedding garment 
required by thee in thy holy Word, and may be 
received as worthy partakers at thy holy table, 
13 



186 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

May we spiritually eat the flesh and drink the 
blood of Christ. May we dwell in him, and he in 
us. May his body, which was broken for us, and 
his precious blood, which was shed upon the cross, 
nourish and preserve our bodies and souls unto ever- 
lasting life. 

Do thou mercifully extend unto all our fellow 
creatures the inestimable benefits of Christ's suffer- 
ing and death. Give grace unto all thy minister- 
ing servants, that they may both by their life and 
doctrine, set forth thy true and lively word, and 
rightly and duly administer thy holy sacraments. 
May thy heavenly grace be graciously imparted 
unto all thy people, especially unto such as shall 
this day assemble with us in thy holy temple, and 
shall come to the holy communion of the body and 
blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Help them, 
before they eat of that bread and drink of that cup, 
diligently to examine themselves, whether they 
truly repent of all their past sins, sincerely purpose 
to lead a new life, have a lively faith in thy mer- 
cies through Christ, with a thankful remembrance 
of his death, and are in charity with all men. Look 
compassionately upon those, who are filled with 
groundless fears, lest they should eat and drink 
unworthily. May they hear and receive the com- 
fortable words, which Christ, our Saviour, speaks 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 187 

unto all ^'ho truly turn unto him. Help them to 
come unto him, laboring and heavy laden on ac- 
count of their sins, and so find rest unto their souls. 

Finally, we beseech thee, to have mercy upon 
such as shall unthankfuUy refuse to come to thy 
table, though so earnestly and graciously called 
and bidden. May they take heed, lest, by with- 
drawing themselves from this holy supper of their 
Lord, they provoke his just indignation against 
them. Help them earnestly to consider, how little 
their excuses will avail before thee, and may they, 
by thy grace, be brought to a better mind, serious- 
\j remembering, that, if they eat not the flesh of 
the Son of Man, and drink not his blood, they have 
no life in them, and neither part nor lot in his sal- 
vation. 

Grant us, Lord, these mercies, for the sake of 
Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour, in whose 
words we would farther address thee, as our Fath- 
er, &c. 



COMMUNION SABBATH. 

Evening, 

Almighty God and everlasting Father ! thou 

hast assured us, that, according to the multitude 

of thy mercies, thou didst so put away the sins of 

those who truly repent, as not to remember them 



188 OCCASIONAL PllAYERS. 

any more against them. We pray thee, therefore, 
to look in mercy upon us, who earnestly desire thy 
pardon and forgiveness. Renew in us, whatsoev- 
er has been decayed through the w^orldngs of the evil 
one, and our own frailty and carnality. And for- 
asmuch as we place our full trust and confidence 
in thee, impute not to us our manifold transgres- 
sions, but wash them away in the blood of thy be- 
loved Son. Receive us graciously into thy favor. 
Sanctify and strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit, 
and bring us at last into the kingdom of heaven, 
and to everlasting life. 

We bless thee for another day of sacred rest, and 
for all the blessings w^e have therein enjoyed. 
Above all, we give thee humble and most hearty 
thanks for the redemption of the world by the 
death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May 
Ave alwaj^s carry about with us a grateful remem- 
brance of his exceeding great love to-us-ward, in 
dying for us, and of the innumerable benefits he 
hath obtained for us by his death, and also of his 
goodness and loving kindness in instituting and 
ordaining holy ordinances as pledges of his love, 
to our great and endless comfort. Grant that we, 
who have this day eaten and drunken in thy pres- 
ence, may receive the strengthening and refresh- 
ing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 189 

Help us to remember the solemn vo^s "vyhich we 
have this day renewed in thy presence, and in the 
presence of all thy people, and enable us faithful- 
ly to perform them. May we go forth into the 
world, bearing about us the marks of a crucified 
Saviour. Having enlisted ourselves again under 
the banners of the Captain of our salvation, may 
we manfully fight the good fight of faith, and con- 
tinue his faithful soldiers and servants unto the end 
of our lives. Grant that we may have power and 
strength to triumph over the devil, the vforld, and 
the fl.esh* May we be encouraged in our holy war- 
fare by the examples of the glorious company of 
the apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, 
the noble army of martyrs, and all the holy Church 
triumphant, who have been made more than con- 
querors through him who loved them, and bought 
them with his blood* 

As thou hast knit together thine elect in one 
communion and fellowship, in the mystical body 
of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, grant us grace 
so to follow thy blessed saints, in all virtuous and 
holy living, that we may enter into those unspeak- 
able joys, which thou hast prepared for them that 
unfeignedly love thee. And when we shall com.e 
to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all 
them that believe, may we sit down with Abraham, 



190 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS* 

Isaac, and Jacob, and all thy redeemed people, at 
the marriage supper of the Lamb. Grant, also^ 
that all those who have waited on thee this day in 
thy holy temple, and around thy table, may renew 
their spiritual strength. May all men see^ that 
they are thy disciples, by the love which they have 
one to another. Thou hast taught us that all our 
doings without charity are of no value. Do thou-, 
therefore, send thy Holy Spirit to pour into our 
hearts that most excellent gift of love, the very 
bond of peace and of all virtues, without which 
whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Let 
there be no schism in the body of Christ ; but let 
the members have a proper care of one another, 
knowing, that if any sin against their brother, and 
wound his weak conscience, they sin against 
Christ. 

And since the offence of the cross is not ceased, 
comfort and succor all those who may in any way 
suffer from love to thee and to thy cause. Hide 
them under thy wing. Enable them to witness a 
good confession, and to give no just occasion to 
their enemies to blaspheme. By well-doing, may 
they put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, 
in meekness instructing those that oppose them- 
selves, if peradventure thou mayest give them re- 
pentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Con- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 191 

vert the hearts of all those who are thrusting away 
from them thy great mercies ; especially of such as 
have this day neglected thy ordinances, and turn- 
ed aside from thy table. And, if any have ap- 
peared before thee with unclean hands and unsanc- 
tified hearts, without the wedding garment requir*- 
ed by thee, in thy holy word, not discerning the 
Lord's body, may they search and examine their 
conscience and repent, lest, after taking this holy 
sacrament, they fall under the power of Satan, who 
shall fill them full of all iniquity and bring them to 
destruction both of body and soul. 

We ask these blessings in the name of Jesus 
Christ our only Lord and Saviour. Amen. 



BAPTISM OF A CHILD. 

Morning. 

THOU, who art the God of all the families 
of the earth ; and especially of those who fear thee 
and honor thy name ! we come before thee this 
morning in the attitude of suppliants and desire 
humbly to worship before thy footstool. Help us 
to approach thee with our whole hearts, and to 
present an offering which shall be acceptable to 
thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We thank thee, that thou hast created us social 
beings, and especially that thou hast brought us, 



192 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS.. 

who are now before thee, together in the capacity 
of a family, and art permitting ns to enjoy all the 
blessings, and comforts, and privileges, which are 
peculiar to this interesting and important relation. 
May we all receive grace and strength faithfully 
to perform the duties which we owe to each other, 
as well as those which devolve upon us in the sev- 
eral positions we occupy in life. We bless thee for 
all the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us as a 
family. Especially would we praise thee for the 
addition which thou hast lately made to it ; and 
we pray that the child thou hast given to thy ser- 
vants, may be spared as a blessing unto us, and 
may be acknowledged as one of thy children. 

Encouraged by thy promise, and covenant, we 
would this day, humbly give it up to thee. Be 
thou graciously pleased to assist us in the observ- 
ance of thy holy ordinance of baptism, in which 
we purpose to engage. Deliver us from formality 
and hypocrisy in this solemn service. Help us 
rightly to understand and duly to attend to its 
proper significance. May we ourselves be entirely 
thine own, and be enabled in sincerity and in faith, 
to give up our little one unto thee, earnestly de- 
siring that it may be a partaker of the peculiar 
blessings of thy gracious covenant, and firmly re- 
solving, in the strength of thy grace, to train it up 



OCCASIONAL PRAYEKS. 193 

for thee. May thy presence be with us, and thy 
blessing upon us, in this solemn service, so that it 
may be made of great and lasting benefit to us and 
ours. Pour out thy Spirit upon our seed, and thy 
blessing upon our offspring, and grant that we, and 
those thou hast given us, may be indeed members 
of thy spiritual family, and at last admitted to 
dwell together in thine house eternal in the 
heavens. 

Give us wisdom and grace to bring up our chil- 
dren in thy fear, in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord, with meekness and tenderness, and hav- 
ing them in subjection with gravity. Teach us, 
that we may teach them the things of God, as they 
are able to bear them. Dispose us to reprove and 
admonish, and when there is need, to correct them 
in a proper manner. Help us to set them good 
examples of everything that is virtuous and praise- 
worthy. Enable us to train them up in the way 
they should go, that if they live to be old, they 
may never depart from it. Keep them from the 
evil to which they shall be exposed in the world. 
We earnestly pray that Christ may be formed in 
their hearts betimes the hope of glory, and that we 
may have the satisfaction of seeing our children 
walking in the truth, and setting their faces heav- 
enwards. 



194 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

If it should please thee to remove any of them 
from us in their youth, give us grace submissively 
to resign them to thee^ and let us have hope in 
their death. If thou shouldst see fit to take us 
from them while they are young, be thou a father 
to them, to teach and provide for them, thou in 
whom the fatherless find mercy. Thou knowest 
our care concerning them. Do thou enable us to 
cast it upon thee, believing that thou carest for 
them. 

We pray for all the families of the earth. Do 
thou confer upon them and their several members, 
the blessings they respectively need. May they 
all learn to trust in thee, the living and true God^ 
and to seek from thee the supply of all their wantSj 
both temporal and spiritual. 

Accept our grateful acknowledgments for the 
mercies of the past night. May thy gracious pres- 
ence attend us through all the duties and privile- 
ges of this day ; and do thou grant us grace and 
strength so to conduct ourselves in all things, that 
at last w^e shall be enabled to render our account 
unto thee v/ith joy and not with grief. These bles- 
sings we ask, and whatsoever else thou seest need- 
ful for us, in the name and for the sake of him, 
who hast taught us, when addressing thee, to say, 
Our Father, &c. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYEBS* 195 

BAPTISM OF A CHILD. 

Evening. 

\Ye appear before thee, Lord, this evenings 
once more as worshippers, and would lift our eyes 
and our hearts to the place where thine honor 
dwelleth. We rejoice, that w^e have the privilege 
of access to thee, and that every encouragement is 
afforded us to avail ourselves of it. Oh that thou 
wouldst regard us in mercyj and bestow upon us 
the blessings our condition and wants require. 

We thank thee for the goodness and mercy with 
which thou hast followed us throughout our lives ; 
but especially for the blessings and privileges of 
the past day. Thou hast therein favored us with 
the comforts and conveniences of this present life, 
and also with everything that is essential to our 
true interests in the life to come. Thou knowest 
to what extent we have improved, in the midst of 
them all, to the honor and glory of thy great and 
excellent name. Oh that thou wouldst forgive 
everything thou hast seen amiss, whilst thou dost 
own and bless whatsoever has been in accordance 
with thy will. 

Do thou especially accept of the solemn act of 
devotion in which we have this day been engaged, 
in dedicating our little one to thee, in the holy or- 
dinance of baptism. Hear the prayers which have 



196 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS,- 

been presented to thee on behalf of this child, 
and all the members of our family. Help us to 
remember that the vows of God are upon us, and 
enable us conscientiously to fulfill them. Incline 
our hearts to attend to the instructions and exhor- 
tations which have been addressed to us^ respecting 
our duty as Christians, as heads of a family, and 
as parents. Let us not be wanting in the use of 
any proper means for the temporal and eternal 
benefit of our ofi*spring. May we diligently pro- 
vide for those of our own house, and above all 
things, may we be attentive to their immortal in- 
terests. Lord, give us that wisdom and resolution 
we so much need in the education of infant minds, 
and in the right government of the family commit- 
ted to our care. Whatever others do, may we and 
ours resolve to serve the Lord. May we command 
our children and household after us, to keep thy 
ways. May thy grace assist, and thy blessings 
succeed us, in all our attempts for thy glory, and 
the eternal welfare of the precious souls committed 
to our trust. Oh may we be the honored instru- 
ments of training up a godly seed, and of bringing 
many sons and daughters to gloYJ» 

Bless the child, which has this day been incor- 
porated into the Church of the living God, by the 
ordinance of baptism. Grant, that as its name has 



OCCASIONAL PKAYERS. 197 

thus been registered on the Church-book on earth, 
so may it also be entered upon the Lamb's book 
of eternal life. Be pleased to ratify in heaven, 
what has been done in thy name on earth. Oh 
that this child may ever live before thee ! If thou 
shouldst see fit to remove it in infancy, may we 
cheerfully resign it to thee, from whom we received 
it, remembering that the Lord who gave it, has a 
right to take it away. If its life should be spared, 
may it be a comfort to us, and a blessing to the 
world and the Church. Do thou preserve it from 
the snares of a wicked world into which it has been 
born. Early sanctify it by thy grace, and train 
it up for thine heavenly kingdom. 

Bless the rising generation in general, and the 
children of this family in particular. Grant that 
they may be a seed to serve thee. And at the 
last great day, may we meet them with comfort at 
the right hand of Christ, saying, Lord, here are 
we, and the children which thou hast given us. 

Our prayers are before thee, Lord ! Grant 
us the desires of our hearts, so far as they accord 
with thy will. Forgive whatsoever thou seest 
amiss. And at last, when thou hast done with us 
on earth, receive us all to the enjoyment of thyself 
in glory, through riches of grace in Christ Jesus 
our licdcemcr. Amen. 



198 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

PUBLIC THANKSGIVING. 

Alorning. 

Unto Thee, thou Great Parent of good, the 
blessed fountain of light, joy, and comfort, we de- 
sire to ascribe all glory. Thou art essentially 
love. The earth is full of thy goodness, and thy 
tender mercies are over all thy works. Thou feed- 
est the young ravens when they cry, and givest 
the beasts of the field their meat. 

But special cause have we, to praise thee for thy 
goodness to man, whom thou hast made but a little 
lower than the angels ; crowned with glory and 
honor, and formed with capacities to know, serve, 
and enjoy thee, the Supreme good. We thank 
thee, that our lines have fallen to us in such pleas- 
ant places, and that we have so goodly a heritage; 
that thou hast fed and clothed and provided for us, 
not the necessaries only, but also many of the 
comforts and conveniences of life ; and that thou 
hast been our deliverer in danger, and helper in 
trouble, and our guide in darkness. We would 
adore that goodness, which has been our protection 
the past night, in the defenceless hours of sleep 
and darkness, and causes the day-spring to know 
its place. 

But, especially, blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we are blessed with 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 199 

spiritual blessings, in heavenly things in Christ. 
Glory to God in the highest, that there is on earth, 
peace and good-will to the children of men. ^Ye 
thank thy mercy, that the joyful sound has reach- 
ed our ears ; that we enjoy an accepted time ; that 
we have been favored with so many instructions 
and motives to lead us to the knowledge, and to 
quicken us to the practice, of our duty ; and that, 
notwithstanding all our unfruitfulness, our candle- 
stick is not yet removed out of its place. Oh that 
thy goodness might lead us to repentance, and 
that thou wouldst enlarge our hearts to praise thy 
sovereign love for all thy rich mercies. Not unto 
us, Lord, but unto thy name, be all the praise. 

Prepare our hearts to unite with thy people this 
day, in grateful offerings for private and public 
mercies. We thank thee, that we have our favored 
lot in a land where thy churches are planted ; where 
civil and religious liberty abounds ; and where we 
are favored wdth the means of useful knowledge, 
and the blessings of civil government. "We offer 
thee our grateful acknowledgments in particular, 
for the mercy which has crowned the present year; 
that we are permitted to enjoy such measures of 
health, peace and plenty ; and that thou hast caus- 
ed the earth to yield its increase, and the trees 
their fruit, and hast so liberally supplied the wants 



200 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

of thy iiuincrous olTspring. Oh help us to praise 
thcc aright for thy goodness, and for thy wonder- 
ful Avorks to the chiUlrcn of men ; and may thy 
mercy and lovmg-kindncss be evermore continued. 
Preside thou in all the great Councils of our na- 
tion. Bless the President of these United States, 
and all in places of subordinate trust. Let not 
the wicked bear rule, nor the vile be exalted. Let 
no root of bitterness spring up to trouble us. Lay 
thy restraints on the strong corruptions of the 
heart, and dispose thy people to a due subjection 
to lawful authority, not for wrath, but for con- 
science sake. Bless this State, and the govern- 
ment more immediately over us. Bless all meana 
for the advancement of knowledge, and the useful 
arts. And may thy blessing, which maketh rich, 
rest upon our basket, our store, and on all the la- 
bors of our hands. But above all, we pray that 
thou wouldst rain down righteousness upon us. 
Cause pure and undefilcd religion to revive ; and 
may Zion rise from the dust, and put on her beau- 
tiful o-arments. Be with the ministers of thine 
everlasting Gospel ; and may their hands be made 
strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. 
Extend the kingdom of the Redeemer to the remo- 
test ends of the earth ; and under the influence of 
that religion which is love, may war have an end, 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 201 

and all the members of this thy great family, unite 
in brotherly love. 

Establish thy precious covenant with us of this 
family, and to all thy gifts, wilt thou add a grate- 
ful heart. Prepare us and all thy people for the 
public solemnities of this day; and may we so offer 
praise that we may glorify God. We commit our- 
selves, God, and all for whom we ought to pray, 
to thy infinite mercy in Christ Jesus, to whom with 
the Father, and the Spirit of truth, be all praise 
through everlasting ages. Amen. 



PUBLIC THANKSGIVING. 

Evening. 
Lord God of hosts ! thou art a Gfod merciful 
and gracious ; slow to anger, of groaX kindness and 
forgiving iniquity. Under this endearing charac- 
ter, we sinners, desire now to approach thy mercy 
seat, imploring thy grace, and blessing thy great 
and glorious name, for all that goodness, which thou 
hast caused to pass before us. Accept our repeat- 
ed thanks for all our public, domestic and person- 
al blessings and privileges ; for that goodness which 
has attended us thus far in the journey of life, and 
of which we have had fresh experience in the 
abundant supplies and blessings of the present 
year. Our fathers have told us of thy works of 
14 



202 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS* 

old, and our eyes have seen thy salvation. Thy 
mercy, Lord, endures forever. 

We would render thee special thanks, Father 
of mercies, for the unspeakable gift of thy Son to 
a guilty world, and that Gospel, which brings life 
and immortality to light. Impress us, we pray 
thee, with some suitable sense of thy great, num« 
berless, and undeserved favors. Permit us not to 
abuse all these precious privileges, and pervert 
them to our aggravated destruction ; nor to dishon- 
or our almighty friend and benefactor. May such 
a sense of thy rich grace impress our hearts as 
shall quicken us to duty, and restrain us from eve- 
ry thing ofiensive to thee. In view of thy great 
goodness to us, most unworthy sinners, may we 
be disposed to be merciful, as our Father who is 
in heaven, is merciful. May we love to do good ; 
be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, and 
disposed to forgive our enemies. We humbly im- 
plore the continuance of thy mercy and kindness. 
Mercifully remove from us our sins, and let them 
not awaken thy just wrath. Foolishness is bound 
up in our hearts, and we are bent to backslide ; but 
with thee there is forgiveness. Forgive not only 
our sins, but also the sins of our land ; and let wis- 
dom and knowledge, be the stability of our times, 
and the fear of the Lord our treasure. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 203 

Continue to be the Guardian and Benefactor of 
our land. Not in the wisdom of man, or an arm of 
flesh, but in the Lord of hosts, would we put our 
trust. Continue our peace, and increase our pros- 
peritjc Scatter every dark cloud which hangs 
over us. Bless all in places of public trust. Make 
them faithful, and may they receive from the foun- 
tain of light, all needful direction. May agricul- 
ture, commerce, and useful arts flourish among us; 
and all institutions for promoting knowledge, en- 
joy thy gracious smiles. Be with those that go 
down to the sea in ships. May they behold the 
works of the Lord there, and his wonders in the 
deep, and be brought to their desired haven. ' 

Bless the State, to whose government we are 
more particularly subject. May all in the execu- 
tive, legislative, and judicial departments, see and 
pursue our true interests, and be made ministers of 
God for good. And we pray, that a spirit of order, 
frugality, temperance, and submission to lawful 
authority, may prevail among us. May the richer 
blessings of thy grace be ours. Teach transgres- 
sors thy ways, and let the children of Zion be glad 
in their King. Dispose thy people to inquire after 
thee, and hear those who pray for the peace of 
Jerusalem. Give thy Son the heathen for his in- 
heritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for 



204 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

his possession ; and may the time speedily come, 
when they shall no longer hurt or destroy, in all 
thy holy mountain. 

Dwell in this, and every other vicinity. Supply 
destitute flocks with pastors after thine own heart, 
and send forth faithful laborers into thy vineyard. 
May the candle of the Lord ever shine around our 
dwellings, and let each of us see the salvation of 
God. Accept, most gracious God, our thanks, for 
whatever of thy goodness we have this day expe- 
rienced ; for the many bounties of thy Providence, 
and the joyful occasion and opportunity we have 
had to unite with thy people, in public ascriptions 
of praise. Bless these means to awaken our hearts 
to gratitude. Accept our poor attempts to serve 
thee ; and may we ever live to the glory of our 
Benefactor. We ask thy care and protection this 
night. Give us the rest of thy beloved. May 
goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our 
lives^ ; and prepare us to join in the new song of 
thy redeemed in heaven, ascribing to the Father, 
Son and Spirit, glory without end. Amen. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 205 

DAY OF PUBLIC HUMILIATION. 

3Iormng. 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty ! we adore 
thee as the sovereign Lord and proprietor of the 
universe, by whom all things in heaven and on 
earth were created, and are constantly upheld and 
supported. We are thy creatures, and acknowl- 
edge ourselves under infinite and increasing obli- 
gations to love, serve, and obey thee. All wo 
have is thine, and all we can render to thee is our 
most reasonable service. Thy law is holy, just 
and good, and in all thou requirest, thou hast uni- 
ted our duty and happiness. 

We acknowledge, Lord, that we have most 
wickedly and ungratefully departed from thee ; and 
that God, in whose hand our breath is, and whose 
are all our w^ays, we have not glorified. We 
confess ourselves utterly vile, and altogether un- 
clean in thy sight. All the faculties of our souls 
have become polluted by sin. Our understandings 
are dark ; and our wills rebellious, and our aS'ec- 
tions so depraved, that we have loved and served 
the creature more than the Creator. The carnal 
mind, which naturally reigns within us is enmity 
to God ; and this corrupt fountain has defiled all 
our actions. We have hated instruction, and des- 
pised reproof; have abused thy goodness and dis- 



206 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

regarded thy warnings, and by our unthankfulness, 
incorrigibleness, and disobedience, are we continu- 
ally provoking tliee to come against us in thy 
wrath. If thou shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, 
who could stand ? But with thee there is forgive- 
ness, and we have thy most gracious promise, that 
he who confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find 
mercy. We desire now to take hold of thy merci- 
ful encouragement, acknowledging ourselves with- 
out excuse ; and hating and renouncing our evil 
thoughts and ways, we would cast ourselves help- 
less and guilty upon the arms of thy mercy, beg- 
ging, that, for the sake of thy Son, thou wouldst 
blot out our transgressions, and not enter into 
judgment with us. 

As this day is set apart for humiliation and 
prayer, we ask that thou wouldst pour upon us and 
all thy people, a spirit of grace and supplication, 
of repentance and reformation. Give us an affect- 
ing sight of the hatefulness of sin. May we rend 
our hearts and not our garments, and break off 
our sins, by working righteousness, that we may 
keep this day in such a manner as shall be pleasing 
to thee. Prepare us for the blessings of true peni- 
tents, and enable all thy people to bring forth fruits 
meet for repentance, by forsaking the ways of sin. 
Maj^ we especially be enabled to exercise ourselves 



OCCASIONAL TRAYERS. 207 

properly, in regard to the particular events, which 
have more especially occasioned the setting apart 
of this day. Do thou cause the wickedness of the 
wicked to come to an end. May the Redeemer 
come to Zion, and turn away ungodliness from 
Jacob, and let the converts of righteousness be 
greatly multiplied. Withdraw not, we beseech 
thee, the tokens of thy favor from the land in 
which we dwell. Remove the judgments we feel. 
Preserve us from those we justly fear. May the 
mercies we enjoy be continued, and those we need 
be bestowed. Rule in the hearts of our rulers. 
Counsel our counsellors, and give our senators 
wisdom. Preserve us from internal disorder, and 
from foreign injury and invasion. Bless us when 
we go out, and when we come in. May the voice 
of health and rejoicing be heard in all our habita- 
tions. Open thy bountiful hand, and supply the 
wants of thy numerous offspring, whose eyes are 
waiting on thee for the supplies they need. Cause 
the earth to bring forth grass for the cattle, and 
herb for the service of man. Continue thy bles- 
sed Gospel among us, and may every heart welcome 
the joyful sound. Fill the world with thy glory, 
and the rich favor of thy grace. 

Will God accept our thanks for all the public 
and private blessings bestowed on such unworthy 



208 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

creatures as we are. We thank thee for the quiet 
and refreshing rest of the past night, and the light 
and comforts of this morning. May we this day 
be directed and preserved in all our ways. Fit us 
for the duties of thy public worship. Prepare a 
word for our hearts, and our hearts to receive it. 
May we, and thy people, present before God the 
sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart ; and may 
it especially be the concern of us all to humble 
ourselves properly before thee. 

Without any merit or worthiness of our own, we 
oflfer thee our requests, through the mediation of 
our exalted High Priest, to whom, with the Father, 
and the Holy Spirit, be equal honors and everlast- 
ing praises. Amen. 



DAY OF PUBLIC HUMILIATION. 

Evening. 
THOU, Lord, art a great God, and a great 
King above all gods. The heavens, even the heav- 
ens are thine, and all their hosts. The earth is 
thine, and the fulness thereof; the world and they 
who dwell therein. Thou art of purer eyes than 
to behold iniquity, neither shall evil dwell with 
thee. Thou art also good, and doest good, delight- 
ing in mercy. We are the witnesses and monu- 
ments of thy goodness ; for it is of thy mercy, that 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 209 

we are not consumed. It is infinite mercy, which 
gives us leave to pray, and to hope for thy for- 
giveness. Blessed be God for the blood which 
cleanseth from all sin ; for that perfect righteous- 
ness, which justifieth the ungodly. As sinners, we 
now present ourselves before thee, pleading for 
mercy and forgiving grace. We desire to forsake 
every false refuge, and to lay open our guilt and 
wretchedness. 

Thou, God, hast been a constant witness of 
all the follies of our youth and the sins of our riper 
years. How great has been the pride, the unbe- 
lief, and the obstinacy of our hearts ! We have 
been lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God. 
We have said to the gold, thou art our hope, and 
to the fine gold, thou art our confidence. We have 
been walking in the ways of our own hearts, and 
in the sight of our own eyes, while we have been 
practically saying to God, Depart from us; for we 
desire not the knowledge of thy ways. We con- 
fess, that this, our wickedness, has been aggravated, 
by all the counsels and warnings, the light and 
love, the vows and promises, against which we have 
sinned. Under this load of guilt, we now make 
our humble flight to thy throne of mercy, seeking 
pardon through the blood of atonement. 

To thee, God, we would also bring our wretch- 



210 OCCASIONAL PBAYERS. 

ed lieaTts, begging thee to form them anew by thy 
Holy Spirit. May we turn with abhorrence from 
all sin. Let nothing appear small by which God 
is offended, or the soul is destroyed. And may 
we, and all thy people, prove the sincerity of our 
repentance, by trying our hearts and ways, and 
turning unto .the Lord. Oh that thoughtless mul- 
titudes might have their attention awakened to in- 
quire what they shall do to be saved ; and may 
those, who are striving against sin, never be weary, 
nor faint in their minds. Succeed a preached 
Gospel. May it everywhere be attended with the 
demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. 

Let glory dwell in our land. Preserve our na- 
tional rights ; and may the civil and religious priv- 
ileges we enjoy, be transmitted to our posterity. 
Make our rulers public benefactors. Let not the 
things of our political peace be ever hidden from 
their eyes ; and may we feel the importance of en- 
trusting our national concerns to those who fear 
God, and hate covetousness. Bless our colleges 
and literary institutions. May streams flow from 
these fountains, which shall make glad the city of 
our God. Smile upon us with respect to the sea- 
sons. Give us a suitable seed-time, and a plenti- 
ful harvest. Favor us with the former and latter 
rains. Preserve us from destructive frosts, devour- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS, 211 

ing insects, blasting mildew, and all the ministers 
of divine wrath. Protect us also against sickness, 
and pestilential disease. 

May things ever go well with us. Dispose thy 
people to the practice of all those duties on which 
the welfare of society depends. Restrain a spirit 
of faction and division. Subdue that selfishness, 
which produces perilous times. And may that 
righteousness, which exalteth a nation, be promo- 
ted. Regard our wretched world with pity. Be the 
defender of the righteous cause, and in thee may the 
helpless find an almighty friend. Still the com- 
motions of the earth, and carry headlong the coun- 
sels of those who are taking counsel against the 
Lord, or the welfare of society. 

Accept our thanks for the outward mercies and 
religious privileges, we have this day enjoyed. 
Our prayers need pardon, and our tears the blood 
of sprinkling to wash them. Seal instruction on 
our hearts. Impress us with a deeper sense of the 
evil and destructive nature of sin ; and as we have 
confessed, so help us to forsake our sins. Will 
God bless and build up our family. Whatever we 
are denied of present things, deny us not an in- 
terest in thy favor, which is better than life. May 
we lie down this night, pardoned and accepted. 
May we sleep in safety and awake in peace ; and 



212 OCCA^ONAL PRAYERS. 

in thy due time, admit us to dwell in thy presence, 
where there is fulness of joy and at thy right hand, 
where are pleasures forever, there to render those 
ceaseless praises, which are due to the King Eter- 
nal, Immortal, and Invisible, to whom be honor 
and glory forever. Amen. 



CHRISTMA S. 

Morning, 

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ ! we humbly beseech thee to accept our 
hearty thanks for the manifold mercies which thou 
hast conferred upon us. We bless thee, especial- 
ly, for sending thy well beloved Son, to take our 
nature upon him, and to be made in the likeness 
of sinful flesh. We rejoice that unto us a Child 
wa.s born ; that unto us a Son is given. And we 
would join the multitude of the heavenly host, in 
ascribing glory to thee in the highest ; peace on 
earth, and good will toward men. We praise thee 
for revealing to us the way in which mercy and 
truth have met together ; in which righteousness 
and peace have kissed each other. And we account 
it a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 
sinners. 

Help us, God, to employ this day in medita- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 213 

ting on this great mystery of godliness, God man- 
ifest in the flesh, which thy holy angels desire to 
look into. And as, when thou didst bring thy first 
begotten into the world, thou didst command all 
the heavenly host to worship him, so may we give 
unto him the glory which is due unto his name. 
thou great and glorious Redeemer, who art Won- 
derful, Counsellor, the Almighty God, the Ever- 
lasting Father, the Prince of Peace, we praise thee; 
we bless thee ; we worship thee ; we glorify thee; 
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, 
Lord God, Lamb of God, the only begotten Son, 
Jesus Christ, King of kings, and Lord of lords, 
Immanuel, God with us. For thou only art holy. 
Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, Christ, 
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory 
of God the Father. 

But chiefly, at this time, we adore thee for leav- 
ing the glory, which thou hadst with the Father 
before the world began. We know thy grace, 
Lord Jesus Christ, that though thou wast rich, yet 
for our sakes thou didst become poor, that we, 
through thy poverty, might be made rich. We 
beseech thee by the mystery of thy holy incarna- 
tion, and nativity, good Lord, deliver us. Son 
of David, have mercy upon us. Thou, who didst 
come that we might have life, and might have it 



214 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS, 

more abundantly, be gracious unto us. Thou who 
wast called Jesus, that thou mightest save thy peo- 
ple from their sins, save us and help us, we humbly 
beseech thee, Lord. And give unto us grace, 
Almighty God, that we may cast away the works 
of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, 
now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy 
Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humil- 
ity. As he came not to be ministered unto, but 
to minister, and hath left us an example to do unto 
others as he hath done unto us, so may we learn to 
take his yoke upon us, and to learn of him, who 
was meek and lowly in heart, that we may find 
rest unto our souls. Grant, that we, being regen- 
erate and made thy children by adoption and grace, 
may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, and 
follow the blessed steps of his most holy life ; ever 
remembering that he gave himself for us, to redeem 
us from all iniquity, and to purify us unto himself 
a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

Grant us, Lord, thy special blessing this day. 
Have compassion also, on those, who have never 
heard of the coming of our blessed Lord in the 
flesh. In him who hath arisen to rule over the 
Gentiles, let the Gentiles trust, and find his rest 
to be glorious. Mercifully with thy favor look 
upon the whole Christian world. May all that 



OCCASIONAL PilAYEllS. 215 

name the name of Christ, depart from iniquity^ 
Especially preserve them from turning this season 
into an occasion of revellings and unholy mirtho 
Let them rejoice, as Christians, in Christ their Sa- 
viour ; and let thy grace teach them to deny all 
ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly^ 
righteously, and godly, in this present world. 

And, as at thy first coming, Lord Jesus Christy 
thou didst send thy messengers to prepare the way 
before thee, we humbly beseech thee, finally, to 
grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mys- 
teries, may likewise so prepare and make ready 
thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient 
to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second com- 
ing to judge the world, we may be found an accep- 
table people in thy sight, through Jesus Christy 
our Lord, in whose name, we further pray : 

Our Father, &c. 

CHKISTMAS. 

Evening* 
holy and merciful God ! thou art of purer 
eyes than to behold iniquity, and yet long-suflfer- 
ing toward sinners. We would approach thy 
throne, acknowledging our unworthiness, and pla- 
cing our whole trust and confidence in the promis- 
es, which thou hast made unto us in Christ Jesus 



216 OCCASIONAIi PRAYEHS. 

our Lord. We have greatly provoked tliee to an- 
ger by our manifold offences ; and were not judg- 
ment thy strange work, we should long since have 
received at thy hands the just reward of our evil- 
doings* But thou givest the highest manifestations 
of thy almighty power in showing mercy and pity. 
Thou hast stretched forth the right hand of thy 
majesty to avenge thee of thine enemies ; but with 
thine own arm thou hast wrought out redemption for 
us. Thou hast not sent thy Son into the world to 
condemn the world, but that the world through him 
might be saved. 

We bless thee for revealing to us this great mys- 
tery, which was hid for ages and generations, but 
is now made manifest unto the sons of men. We 
rejoice that unto us was born a Saviour, which is 
Christ the Lord. Our souls do magnify the Lord, 
and our spirits do rejoice in God our Saviour. Ho- 
sanna to the Son of David ! Blessed be he that 
Cometh in the name of the Lord ! Hosanna in the 
highest ! Blessed be thou, the God of Israel, for 
visiting and redeeming thy people, and raising up 
a horn of salvation for them ; for performing the 
promise made unto their fathers, and for remem- 
bering thy holy covenant. Praised be thy name 
for sending forth, in the fulness of time, thy only 
begotten Son, made of a woman, made under the 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 217 

law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 
Glory be unto thee, for causing thy loving kind- 
ness toward us to appear. Not by works of right- 
eousness, which we have done, but according to 
thy mercy, thou hast saved us. 

thou, who wast in Christ reconciling the world 
unto thyself, not imputing their trespasses unto 
them, forgive us all our trespasses. Through him, 
who was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and 
came to seek and to save that which was lost, have 
mercy upon us. By the mystery of his holy in- 
carnation and nativity, good Lord, deliver us. And, 
since thy beloved Son was manifested, that he 
might destroy the works of the devil, to make us 
the children of God, and heirs of eternal life, grant, 
we beseech thee, that having this hope, we may 
purify ourselves, even as he is pure ; and that when 
he shall come again, in power and great glory, w^e 
may be made like unto him^ in his eternal and 
glorious kingdom. But who may abide the day of 
his coming ? And who may stand when he appear- 
eth ? thou compassionate and faithful High 
Priest, partaker of our flesh and blood, who wast 
in all points tempted like as we, yet without sin, 
and art not ashamed to call us brethren, have pity 
upon our infirmities ; and grant unto us, that we, 
being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, 
15 



218 OCCASIONAL PRAYEKS. 

may serve thee, without fear, in holiness and right- 
eousness before thee, all the days of our life. 

Fill our hearts with love to thee for the unspeak- 
able gift, which thou didst condescend to bestow 
upon a sinful world ; and dispose us always most 
thankfully to receive it. Let the same mind also, 
be in us, which was in Christ Jesus ; who, being 
in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to 
be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputa- 
tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and 
was found in fashion as a man, a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief ! Help us continually 
to follow the example of his great humility. In 
lowliness of mind, may we esteem others better 
than ourselves. And give us grace so to walk in 
all holiness of living, that we may not be ashamed 
before him at his coming. 

We pray likewise, heavenly Father, that 
through thy tender mercies, the Day-Spring from 
on high, which hath visited us, may arise, and 
shine upon the nations that are sitting in darkness 
and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet into 
the way of peace. Grant that it may be both a 
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy 
people Israel. And may none of those who be- 
hold it, love darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds are evil. 



OCCASIONAL PKAYERS. 219 

Eaisc up faithful and able ministers of the New 
Testament, to go before the face of the Lord, to 
prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to 
his people, by the remission of their sins. Pour 
down thy grace and heavenly benediction upon all 
who are called Christians. May the children of 
Zion be joyful in their King ! And may they so 
truly follow the blessed steps of their Lord and 
Master, that they may be saved by him in the great 
day of his appearing and glory. Grant this for 
Jesus Christ's sake, our only Lord and Saviour. 

Our Father, &c. 



LAST DAY OF THE YEAR. 

Evening. 

Thou, Lord, hast been our refuge, and our 
dwelling place in all generations. Before the 
mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst 
formed the earth and the world, even from ever- 
lasting to everlasting thou art God. A thousand 
years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is 
past, and as a watch of the night. But as for man, 
his days are as grass ; as a flower of the field, so 
he flourisheth ; for the wind passeth over it, and 
it is gone, and the place thereof knoweth it no 
more. 

In appearing before thee this evening, we are 



220 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

vividly reminded of these solemn truths. Through 
thy good Providence over us have we been brought 
to the close not only of another day, but also of 
another year. Since we were last found in similar 
circumstances, many of our fellow creatures, and 
some too who were near and dear to our hearts, 
have been summoned to the eternal world. Great 
have been the changes which have been wrought 
by death. We, however, have been preserved ; 
and are the living this night to praise thee. Blessed 
be the God of salvation, to whom belong the issues 
from death, that we are yet in the regions of hope; 
that we have yet an accepted time, and a day of 
salvation ; and that our opportunities of doing good, 
are still continued. 

We would this night survey the mercies of the 
past year, with grateful hearts. Thou hast been 
with us in the midst of dangers seen and unseen, 
and safely brought us through them all. We have 
had our trials and afflictions ; but thanks be to thy 
name, they have been comparatively few in num- 
ber, short in duration, alleviated in degree, merci- 
ful in design, and instructive and useful in their 
results. Thou hast not dealt with us after our 
sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 
What a series of bounties and blessings present 
themselves to our minds, when we look back upon 



I 



OCCASSIONAL PRAYERS. 221 

the year through which we have passed ; and to 
what, but to thine unmerited goodness in the Son 
of thy love, are we indebted for them all. We 
have been favored with health and strength, food 
and raiment, and a comfortable place of abode ; 
we have enjoyed the pleasures and comforts aiford- 
ed by the society of friends and kindred, neighbors 
and acquaintances ; yea, every, day, hour and mo- 
ment of our lives, has been witness to thy kindness 
and care. We would especially acknowledge thy 
goodness, in continuing to us the means of grace. 
Whatever else may at any time have been denied 
us, we have been richly favored with the provis- 
ions of thy house. Thy Sabbaths have been con- 
tinued, with all the blessings and privileges which 
are peculiar to them in a Christian land. Our 
ears have heard the joyful sound of the Gospel ; 
and our hearts haye often said, Lord, it is good 
for us to be here. We would praise thee also, for 
the success, which has attended the efforts put 
forth for the spread of the Gospel. The means of 
grace have been accompanied with the influences 
of the Holy Spirit, and made effectual in the salva- 
tion of sinners. Oh that thou wouldst give still 
further success to thy cause, and bring on speedi- 
ly the period when thy glory shall cover the earth, 
as the waters do the great deep. 



222 OCCASIONAL PRAYEUS. 

And whilst we gratefully record thy goodness to 
us, we would not forget our sinfulness and un wor- 
thiness. We acknowledge, that, in the midst of 
thy manifold acts of loving-kindness, we have been 
disobedient and unthankful. Well may we exclaim, 
Who can understand his errors ? How many du- 
ties have w^e neglected or improperly performed ! 
To what little purpose have we redeemed our time, 
or improved our talents ! How little have we been 
alive to thy glory, or sought, or even seized, when 
presented, opportunities of serving our generation ! 
How unprofited have we been under the richest 
means of religious prosperity ! and, when for the 
time we ought to be able to teach others, we need 
to be again taught ourselves, what are the first 
principles of the oracles of God. Be merciful to 
us sinners, God. Pardon our iniquity: for it is 
great. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness ; and 
work in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure. 
Let us not carry one of our past sins with us into 
the new year, unrepented of, unbewailed, and un- 
abhorred. V\^ith a new portion of time, may wo 
also have new hearts, and become new creatures. 

If during the coming year we should die — and 
in the midst of life, w^e are in death — may death 
prove an eternal gain. But if our days are pro- 
longed, may we walk before the Lord in the land 



1 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 223 

of the living, and show forth all thy praise. The 
number of our months is with thee. In thy hand 
our breath is, and thine are all our ways. Prepare 
us for whatever awaits us, and bring us safely 
through it all unto the rest, that remains for thy 
people. We ask all in the name, and for the sake 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose 
words we address thee, as 
Our Father, &c. 

FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR. 
Morning. 
Thou, Lord, hast of old laid the foundation of 
the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy 
hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure ; 
yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment : as a 
vesture shalt thou change them and they skall be 
changed ; but thou art the same and tly years 
shall have no end. We bless thee that amidst all 
the vicissitudes and dangers to which we are sub- 
ject, thou makest our lives thy care. Hitherto the 
Lord hath helped us. Through thy good hand 
upon us, have our eyes been permitted to open 
upon the light of another morning and the com- 
mencement of another year. We desire this day to 
call to remembrance the years of the right hand of 
the Most High. Goodness and mercy have follow- 



224 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

ed us all the days of our lives. We would again 
particularly call to mind the mercies of the past 
year. We are the living, the living to praise thee, 
as we do this day. Blessed be God for all the 
mercies, personal and relative, temporal and spir- 
itual, with which the past year has been crowned. 

To thy care, direction and blessing, we commit 
ourselves and each other for the subsequent part 
of our lives, and especially for the year just com- 
menced. We know not what even a day, and much 
less, what a year, may bring forth ; nor would we 
wish to know. It is enough for us to be assured 
that our lives are in thy hands. There we cheer- 
lully leave ourselves and all our concerns, praying 
and believing that thou wilt order all things wise- 
ly and graciously for us. We pray with submis- 
sion to thy sovereign will, that thou wouldst con- 
tinue out lives, and preserve our health and com- 
forts to the close of another year. But especially 
we pray that thou wouldst prepare us for, and sanc- 
tify to us, the events of it, whatsoever they may be. 

We humbly lataent the sins of the past year, as 
well as all the former sins of our lives. We be- 
seech thee, of thine infinite mercy, to pardon them ; 
and to grant us grace and strength to watch and 
strive against the repetition of them. May all 
old things pass away, and all things become new. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 225 

We desire to begin the new year with God. We 
would commit ourselves afresh to thv care, and con- 
secrate ourselves anew to thy service. And hav- 
ing done so, we desire cheerfully to refer all future 
events to thine infinite wisdom and fatherly good- 
ness. As every year which passes, brings us near- 
er to death and eternity may it find us better pre- 
pared for our great change. We know not but 
that this year may be our last. God grant that 
should this be the case, it may prove our best. If 
thou hast so decreed that this year any of us shall 
die, Oh grant that death may be to us no terror or 
surprise. May we be dying daily to sin and the 
present world, so that whenever we finish this mor- 
tal life, we may enter upon that infinitely happy 
one, which shall never end. May the close of every 
year, and of every day, find us wiser and better ; 
more happy in ourselves, more useful to others, and 
more meet for that world where days and years 
shall be unknown, and time shall be no more. In 
thy presence, may we all spend a blessed eternity ! 
Be merciful to the young. May each of them, 
this day, hear thee saying, My son, give me thy 
heart ; and from this time forth, look to thee as the 
guide of their youth. Bless thy children and peo- 
ple every where. Succeed their endeavors to serve 
thee ; and may they at all times, share largely of 



226 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

the consolations of thy grace. Do good to our 
country. May it continue to enjoy thy protection 
and smiles. Bless our rulers and magistrates ; and 
help them to govern in thy fear. Prosper thine 
own cause in the world. Build up thy Church. 
Clothe her ministers with salvation, and cause her 
people everywhere to shout aloud for joy. May 
the works of darkness be speedily brought to 
nought, and righteousness and peace, everywhere 
abound. We ask all in the name and for the sake 
of him, who hath taught us to pray : 
Our Father, &c. 



GOOD FRIDAY. 

Morning, 
Most merciful and gracious God and Father in 
our Lord Jesus Christ ! To thee would w^e this 
morning once more draw near, and present our sup- 
plication and prayer. Through thy good provi- 
dence over us, have we been preserved through the 
dangers of the past night, and brought in safety to 
behold the light of this morning. Thy renewed 
goodness calls for renewed returns of gratitude and 
praise. We thank thee for all thy mercies, and 
pray for their continuance, and for grace and 
strength in the enjoyment of them, to live to the 
glory and praise of thy great and excellent name. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERSo 227 

We have great need to seek thee, the Lord 
whilst thou mayest be found, and to call upon thee, 
whilst thou art near. Thy word declares, and our 
own sad experience has taught us, that in us, that 
is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing. The things 
of the world, the lust of the eye, and the lust of 
the flesh, and the pride of life, are continually 
tempting us, and leading us astray from thee. Our 
aff'ections towards thee, are accordingly, often cold 
and dull. We are prone to depart from thee, and 
are lukewarm and indifi'erent, when we ought to be 
filled with a holy zeal. We too much neglect and 
trifle with our own salvation, and with the salvation 
of those vath whom we have constant intercourse. 
We have too little of that spiritual mind, which is 
life and peace. Our temptations are many ; we 
often yield to them and have no strength in our- 
selves to resist or overcome them. 

We pray thee, therefore, to be merciful to us, 
sinners. Dispose and enable us to come to Jesus 
Christ, weary and heavy laden as we are, that we 
may find rest in him. Teach us our guilt and ruin, 
and help us to rely on his blood ; and to build all 
our hopes on his righteousness. Grant that we, 
being ingrafted into Christ, may live wholly to 
him. Suflbr us not to deceive ourselves with a mere 
form and profession of religion ; but give us true 



228 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

faith, that we may really abide in Christ and bear 
much fruit. Quicken thou our souls. Make our 
hearts pure, humble and devout; a3ad may our con- 
versation ever be holy and heavenly. Grant unto 
us the abundance of thy Holy Spirit. May he guide 
us in all our ways, that we may never dishonor thee 
by unfruitfulness or inconsistent conduct ; but may 
abound in every good work, and walk worthy of 
the Gospel of Jesas Christ. 

Enable us this day to walk in thy fear, and may 
we find ourselves greatly profited by the contem- 
plation of those momentous truths, which this day 
is designed by thy Church more immediately to 
commemorate. May we behold Jesus, stretched 
upon the Cross, and dying in agony for the sins of 
the world. May we especially contemplate him as 
suffering for our transgressions, and as being bruis- 
ed for our iniquities, knowing that the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes, 
we are healed. Oh that a contemplation of these 
things, may deeply impress us with a sense of the 
evil of sin, and awaken in us feelings of abhorrence 
for it, so that we may truly repent of all our trans- 
gressions, and turn from them unto thee, the living 
and true God. 

Do thou fill us also with sentiments of the warm- 
est gratitude and love to thee, for thy unspeakable 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 229 

mercy to us in Jesus Christ thy Son. Enable us 
to bless thy great and holy name, that Jesus died 
for sinners, even for us. Yea, may we truly thank 
thee, that grace, pardon, peace, strength, the Holy 
Spirit, and eternal life are given to sinners, through 
faith in his blood. Unto him that loved us, and 
washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
made us to be kings and priests unto God and his 
Father, may we ascribe glory and dominion forev- 
er and ever. 

Whilst we thus supplicate thee in our own behalf, 
we would not be forgetful of others. We pray thee, 
therefore, to let the bright glory and happy domin- 
ion of our Lord Jesus Christ be spread over the 
whole world. Increase both the number and the 
zeal of those, who earnestly seek the good of Zion 
and the enlargement of thy Son's kingdom. May 
thy blessing attend every effort put forth in ac- 
cordance with thy will to make the unsearchable 
riches of Christ known to the Gentiles. Give un- 
to thy people Israel the new heart and the new 
Spirit. Bless our favored country so that it may 
be a highly honored instrument in diffusing the 
light of truth abroad ; and grant that every exer- 
tion for that end, may be a means of reviving true 
religion in all our hearts at home. Bless all in 
authority. Let thy priests be clothed with right- 



230 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

eousness, and thy people sing for joy. May peace 
and mercy be granted to all our relatives, and rest 
on our own souls, and in our own family. May 
we, and all thy people, be united in one heart and 
mind in thy service and love, praying for each 
other, bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfill- 
ing the law of Christ. Hear us for his name's 
sake, in whose words, we would further pray, 
Our Father, &c. 



GOOD FRIDAY. 

Evening. 
Almighty God and everlasting Father ! thou art 
the Creator of the ends of the earth, who faintest 
not, neither art weary. Thy mercy also endureth 
forever. Who is a God like unto thee, that par- 
donest iniquity ; that passest by the transgression 
of thy heritage, and retainest not thy anger for 
ever ? When we call to mind the days that are 
gone, from our youth up even until now, and con- 
sider how many of them have been spent in forget- 
fulness of thee, we might well be overwhelmed with 
sorrow, and a consciousness of sins take such hold 
upon us, that we should not be able to look up, did 
we not know that thy compassions fail not. We 
have abundant cause, Lord, to remember and be 
confounded, and never to open our mouth any 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 231 

more, because of our shame, even though thou 
shouldst be at peace with us for all that we have 
done. 

We have, therefore, great cause to bless thee for 
Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, through 
whom we hope to be justified from all things, from 
which we could not be justified by any righteous- 
ness of our own. We adore and magnify thy name, 
Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, for 
having called us with a holy calling, not according 
to our works, but according to thy own purpose and 
grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world 
began ; whom, having not seen, we love, and in 
whom, though we see him not, yet believing, we 
may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 

We especially praise thee for all the sorrows en- 
dured for us by thy Son, which had their culmina- 
tion on the cross, and for the particular contempla- 
tion of which, the day which has now closed, has 
been set apart by thy Church. Oh that we may 
constantly remember his dying agonies, and feel 
that it was our sins, which rendered it necessary 
that he should endure them. May we repent in 
dust and ashes before thee on account of our man« 
ifold short-comings, and at the same time, look un- 
to Jesus, as the Lamb of God, that taketh away the 
sins of the world. We rejoice in view of the rich 



232 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

provision thou hast made, by the death of thy Son, 
for the salvation of souls ; and we would summon 
all the powers of mind and body to the great work 
of praising thee. Lamb of God, worthy art thou 
that wast slain ; for thou hast redeemed us unto 
God by thy blood ! Worthy art thou that was 
slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and 
strength, and honor and glory, and blessing ! 

Teach us, Lord, to live, day by day, in hum- 
ble dependence on thy promises ; in cheerful obe- 
dience to thy laws, and in a sure and certain hope 
of a blessed immortality. Keep us, we beseech 
thee, with thy perpetual mercy ; and because such 
is our frailty, that without thee we cannot but fall, 
preserve us by thy help from all things hurtful, 
and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation. 
Defend us from all our enemies, both temporal and 
spiritual. In all time of tribulation, in all time of 
prosperity, in the hour of death, and in the day of 
judgment, good Lord, deliver us. Grant, that we, 
being received for thy own children by adoption, 
and being incorporated into thy holy Church, may 
receive the fulness of thy grace, and ever remain 
in the number of thy faithful children; and finally, 
with the residue of thy people, be made partakers 
of thy heavenly kingdom. 

Preserve US; especially, from all the evils to which 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 233 

we may be exposed this night. Graciously give 
thy angels charge concerning us, to pitch their 
tents around our beds ; and grant that our friends, 
our neighbors, and all who are dear to us, may be 
brought in safety to the beginning of another day. 
As often as we are about to lie down on the bed of 
sleep, help us to look forward to that sleep in the 
dust of the earth, from which all shall awake at 
last, some to everlasting life, and some to everlast- 
ing shame and contempt. And may we be found 
meet, in that day, to join in that glorious song, 
which thou hast prepared for those who v/ait for 
thy appearing : " Lo ! this is our God : We have 
waited for him, and he will save us. This is the 
Lord ; we will rejoice, and be glad in his salvation." 

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern 
all things in heaven and earth, mercifully hear 
these our supplications ; and grant us thy peace 
all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ, our 
Lord. 

Our Father, &c. 



EASTER SABBATH* 

Morning. 
Once more, Lord, have we been permitted to 
behold the light of thy holy Sabbath, and to have 
in prospect the enjoyment of the privileges which 
16 



234 OCCASIONAL PKAYERS. 

are peculiar to it in a Christian land This is in- 
deed the day which the Lord hath made ; we will 
rejoice and be glad in it. Oh that we may be in 
the Spirit on the Lord's day ! Whilst in it we re- 
member the great work of creation as finished, may 
we give glory to thee, God, the Father almighty, 
the maker of heaven and earth. thou who didst 
at first command the light to shine out of darkness, 
shine this day into our hearts, and give us more of 
the light of the knowledge of thy glory in the face 
of Jesus Christ ; and let us* be thy workmanship, 
created anew in him unto good works. 

With peculiar pleasure would we call to mind on 
this Sabbath of Sabbaths, the resurrection of our 
exalted Redeemer from the dead on the first day 
of the week, which this day is designed especially 
to commemorate, and by which he was declared to 
be the Son of God w^ith power, and is become the 
first fruits of those that slept. Oh that as Christ 
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Fath- 
er, so we also may rise with him, and walk in new- 
ness of life. We bless thee, that when Jesus was 
glorified, the Holy Ghost was given to carry on 
his undertaking until his second coming, and that 
we have the promise, that he shall abide with us 
forever. We pray that the Spirit of him, who 
raised up Christ from the dead, may dwell and 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 235 

rule in us, to make us partakers of a new and di- 
vine nature. 

Be graciously present with us, through all the 
solemn services of this day. Pour out upon us, 
and all who shall meet in thy name, the spirit of 
grace and supplication. Let none of us draw near 
to thee with our lips only, while our hearts are far 
from thee ; but enable us to worship thee in spirit 
and in truth. Cause thy face to shine upon us. 
Grant that we may find, that the Lord is in his holy 
temple, and be able to say. It was good for us to 
have been there ! Prepare our hearts to receive 
thy holy word, that it may be sown in good ground, 
and bring forth much fruit to perfection. Bless es- 
pecially all such as expect this day to enter into 
covenant relation with thyself, or hope again to 
receive the memorials of our Saviour's sufferings 
and death. May contrition, penitence, faith, hu- 
mility, and love, be in lively exercise and greatly 
increased. May all of us be enabled to raise our 
affections to things above, and to have our conver- 
sation in heaven. 

Bless all who shall this day minister in holy 
things. Multiply unto them thy grace, that they 
may be faithful, diligent and laborious. Grant 
them humility, disinterestedness, watchfulness, and 
zeal. May all have grace to take heed to them- 



236 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

selves, and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost 
Las made them overseers, feeding the Church of 
God, which he has purchased w^th his own blood. 
Stand by and strengthen them this day. Open thou 
their mouths, and enable them to testify boldly the 
Gospel o( the grace of God. We especially pray 
for him, who ministers among us. May he be ena- 
bled this day to speak a word in season to us, and 
to all who hear him. 

And, we beseech thee to grant, that this thy 
Sabbath may be distinguished by great and singu- 
lar mercies to thy Church. Be thou with all 
Christian congregations meeting to worship thee. 
By the ministry of thy word this day, convert thou 
many sinners ; heal those who have backslidden ; 
strengthen those who are weak, and confirm those 
who are strong. Give thy word free course, and 
let it be glorified in every land, and among every 
people. 

Hear us, Lord, in our prayers ; forgive us our 
sins ; and do more for us than we can ask or are 
worthy to receive, for the sake of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

Our Father, &c. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 237 

EASTER SABBATH. 

Evening. 

At the close of this day, we would again, 
Lord, come into thy presence, and present to thee 
our evening sacrifice of prayer, and praise, and 
thanksgiving. Thou hast been pleased to favor us 
with another of thy holy Sabbaths. We have 
therein enjoyed great and glorious privileges. The 
lines have indeed fallen to us in pleasant places ; 
yea, we have had a goodly heritage. We praise 
thee for all that our eyes have seen, our ears heard, 
or our hands handled of the word of eternal life. 

We have this day been led to contemplate the 
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the 
dead, whereby he triumphed over all his and our 
enemies, and thus finished the great w^ork of re- 
demption. May the truths we have heard and read, 
and all the solemn services in which we have been 
engaged, make a deep and lasting impression upon 
our hearts, and bring forth appropriate fruit in our 
lives. Grant that we, being risen with Christ, may 
seek those things which are above, where Christ sit- 
teth on the right hand of God. May our affections 
be set on things above, and not on things on the 
earth. Oh that the life we now live in the flesh, 
may be by the faith of the Son of God ! May we 
adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. 



238 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

Bless all who have waited upon thee this day in 
the ministrations of thy house. May the truth 
spoken prove a word in season to many souls. 
Grant unto such as have this day openly avouch- 
ed thee, the Lord, to be their God, the Lord Jesus 
Christ to be their Saviour and Redeemer, and the 
Holy Ghost to be their Comforter, Sanctifier and 
Guide, or as have, over thine altar, renewed their 
covenant vows to be thine, grace and strength to 
walk w^orthy of their high and holy relations. 
May they be enabled ever to bring forth in their 
lives, the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Pity 
such as have this day been deprived of the public 
means of grace, by sickness or infirmity. Let them 
know in their happy experience, that thou art not 
confined to temples made with hands. Be with 
them in all their troubles ; and impart unto them 
largely of the consolations of thy grace. May 
such as have neglected, or failed to improve the 
privileges of this day, be brought to see their sin- 
fulness, and to repent, before it shall be forever 
too late. 

Accomplish all that thou hast promised, heavenly 
Father, concerning thy Chureh, in the latter days. 
Let the earth be filled with thy glory. May the 
fulness of the Gentiles be brought in and all Israel 
be saved. Propagate the Gospel in all parts of 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 289 

our land. Let the enlargement of trade and com- 
mex'ce contribute to the enlargement of thy Church. 
Let the kingdom of Christ, in all places, be erect* 
ed upon the ruins of Satan's kingdom. Hasten 
the downfall of the man of sin, and let primitive 
Christianity, even pure religion and undefiled be- 
fore God and the Father, be revived, and made 
to flourish wherever the Gospel is sent. Let the 
power of godliness prevail among all who have the 
form of it. May the wars of the nations end in 
the peace of the Church, and the convulsions and 
revolutions of States and Kingdoms, issue in the 
advancement of the kingdom of God among men ; 
even that kingdom, which cannot be moved. 

Prosper, we pray thee, the trade of our nation. 
Guard our coasts. Disappoint the devices of our 
enemies ; and preserve the public peace. Bless the 
fruits of the earth. Continue our plenty. Abun- 
dantly bless our provisions, and satisfy our poor 
with bread. Preserve the health of the nation, 
and delight to dwell among us and to do us good. 

Forgive, Lord, whatsoever thou hast seen 
amiss in us during the past day. Watch over us 
this night. Refresh our bodies with quiet and com- 
fortable sleep. Prepare us for the duties of the 
coming day, and for all that awaits us in life. May 
the whole time of our sojourning here below be 



240 OCCASIONAL PRAYEES. 

spent in thy fear and in thy service ; and grant 
that we may all at last be found amongst the num- 
ber of those, who shall participate in the resurrec- 
tion of the just. 
Our Father, &c- 



ASCENSION DAY. 
Morning, 
Almighty and most merciful Father ! manifold 
and highly aggravated are the sins which we have 
committed against thee. On account of them, thou 
mightest most justly have cut us off in the midst 
of our days. But thy mercy has prevailed over 
thy judgments, and in the exercise of thy goodness 
we have been spared hitherto. We would praise 
thee for all thy grace and loving-kindness to-us- 
ward, and, at the same time, humble ourselves 
deeply before thee, on account of our great sinful- 
ness and unworthiness. Oh that thou wouldst be 
pleased graciously to accept our unfeigned sorrow 
for our past transgressions ; and grant that we may 
never so presume upon thy mercy, as to despise 
the riches of thy goodness ; but let a sense of thy 
forbearance and long-suffering work in us repen- 
tance and amendment of life, to thy honor and 
glory, and to our final acceptance in the last day^ 
through the merits of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 241 

Thou didst not at first, Lord, pass by our race, 
as thou didst the angels that sinned ; but didst, in 
the plenitude of thy mercy, provide for them a 
Saviour in Jesus Christ thy Son. In the fulness 
of time, thou didst send him into the world, and 
cause him to pass through a life of toil and suffer- 
ing, and at last to submit to the excruciating and 
ignominious death of the Cross. Thou didst not, 
however, leave him under the power of death ; but 
didst raise him from the dead, and cause him to 
ascend into heaven, to be seated at thy right hand, 
until he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 
All this hast thou done, that it might be possible 
for thee to be just, and yet the justifier of those of 
our race, who believe in Jesus. We praise thee 
for this glorious scheme of redemption ; and would 
this morning gratefully contemplate its various 
acts, and especially that which this day is designed 
by thy Church particularly to commemorate. We 
rejoice, that Jesus has ascended on high, having 
led captivity captive, and received gifts for men, 
and is now seated at thy right hand, ready to dis- 
pense the riches of thy heavenly grace unto all who 
place their trust in him. Grant, that as he has 
ascended into heaven, so we also may in heart and 
mind ascend thither, and dwell continually with 
him, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the 
Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. 



242 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

Whilst thou art pleased to continue us in this 
pilgrimage world, we pray thee to keep alive in us 
a spirit of true devotion, and preserve us from the 
great sin of praying to thee with our lips only, and 
not with our heart and mind also. Convince us of 
our entire dependence on thee ; and quicken us in 
the pursuit of things eternal, that w^e may continu- 
ally press forward to obtain the prize of our high 
calling in Christ Jesus. Dispose us, we beseech 
thee, rightly to discharge the duties of this day. 
Watch over our path. Compass us about with thy 
favor. Preserve us in our going out and coming 
in ; and direct all our steps in the way of thy com- 
mandments. Make us truly honest and conscien- 
tious in all our business ; diligent in the perform- 
ance of our duty ; innocent in our conversation; 
meek, charitable, and forgiving towards others ; 
watchful over ourselves, and ever mindful of thy 
presence. 

If now, Lord, we have asked anything amiss, 
we pray thee to pardon our ignorance and infirmi- 
ty ; and whatsoever is good for us, even if we ask 
it not, be pleased to grant to us, in the name and 
for the sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our only 
Mediator and Advocate. 

Our Father, &c. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 243 

ASCENSION DAY. 
Evening, 

Manifoldj Lord, are the mercies which we 
have received at thy hands during the past day. 
Thou hast been with us throughout its checkered 
scenes, and preserved us from the perils and dan- 
gers to which we were exposed. We have also been 
favored with the comforts of thy Providence, and 
abundantly blessed with the blessings and privile- 
ges of thy grace. All these things thou hast con- 
ferred upon us, even whilst we, by our sins and 
transgressions, have rendered ourselves unworthy 
of the least of all thy mercies. What shall we 
render unto the Lord for all his benefits to-us-ward? 
We will take of the cup of thy salvation ; we will 
call upon thy great and excellent name. 

We thank thee, Lord, in the sincerity of our 
hearts, for all that thou hast this day conferred 
upon us. Especially would we praise thee for 
everything that relates to the interests of our nev- 
er dying souls. Thou hast been pleased to provide 
us with a Saviour in the gift of thy Son, and this day 
have we been led, by the appointment of thy Holy 
Church, to contemplate him as an ascended and 
glorified Redeemer. We praise thee, God, the 
King of glory, that, after he had finished the work 
of redemption, thou didst cause him to sit down at 



244 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

the right hand of thy Majesty in heaven, and hast 
thus exalted him, with great power and glory, to 
be a Prince and a Saviour. And we pray thee, 
that thou wilt not leave us comfortless, but send 
down upon us the Holy Ghost, to comfort us, and 
exalt us unto the same place, whither our Saviour 
Christ has gone before ; who liveth and reigneth 
with thee, and the Holy Ghost, one God for ever 
and ever. 

Whilst we thus record thy loving-kindness with 
grateful hearts, we Would not forget to humble our- 
selves in thy presence on account of our manifold 
sins and transgressions. This day, in the midst of 
all thy mercies, we have been guilty of acts of re- 
bellion, which might justly incur for us the inflic- 
tions of thine indignation and wrath. But, Lord, 
we pray thee to have mercy upon us, and for the 
sake of our once crucified, but now risen and ascen- 
ded Redeemer, to blot out all our transgressions, 
and to remember our sins no more against us. Oh 
that we may experience the blessedness of those, 
whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins 
are covered. 

We would, now, heavenly Father, commit us 
to thy holy care and keeping for this night. May 
we rest securely under the shadow of thy protec- 
tion. Defend us from all perils and dangers, and 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 245 

« 
especially from those which may assault and hurt 

the soul. Prepare us, by comfortable repose, for 

the duties of the morrow, and grant that we may 

rise disposed and strengthened for thy service, as 

faithful and diligent disciples of thy blessed Son ; 

in whose words, we further pray^ 

Our Father, &c. 



WHITSUNDAY. 
Horning. 

Thou, Lord, hast set apart the Sabbath for 
thyself and commanded us to keep it holy. Help 
us to realize this solemn truth as we ought, and 
impart unto us grace to improve all our holy 
time to the purpose for which it has been given. 
May we this day worship before thee in the beauty 
of holiness, and make great progress in our jour« 
ney towards the heavenly Jerusalem. 

Especially, Lord, as thou did&t on the day 
of Pentecost, pour out thy Holy Spirit upon thy 
holy apostleS) and cause them to proclaim in divers 
tongues to perishing sinners the precious grace of 
thy salvation, do thou this day open the windows of 
heaven and cause such showers of divine influen- 
ces to descend upon us, and all thy people, that 
there shall not be room sufiicient for the reception 



246 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

of them. Oh that we may be favored with a real 
Pentecostal season ! May we and all thy people 
be greatly revived and quickened in the ways of 
holy obedience ; and may sinners be pricked to 
their hearts and constrained to cry out. Men and 
brethren, what must we do to be saved ? and be 
directed to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sins of the world. 

Prepare us, we pray thee, for the various duties 
which are before us this day. Sanctify unto us all 
the means of grace, with which thou art pleased to 
favor us. Send out thy light and truth ; and let 
them lead us, and bring us to thy holy hill, and to 
thy tabernacle. May we go with the multitude 
to the house of prayer, with the voice of joy and 
praise ; even with the multitude that keep thy holy 
day. There may we see thy power and glory, as 
thy servants see them in thy sanctuary ; and be 
satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of 
thy holy temple. 

Be with all ministers of the Gospel, who shall 
this day proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to 
perishing sinners. Endue them plentifully with 
the grace of thy Holy Spirit. Give unto them the 
spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound mind. 
Make them able ministers of the New Testament ; 
faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. Help 



OOCASIONAL PRAYERS. 247 

them to take heed unto themselves and to the doc- 
trine ; so that, according to thy promise, they may 
both save themselves and those who hear them. 
Regard in mercy thy Holy Catholic Church. May 
she be continually inspired with the spirit of truth, 
unity and concord. Grant that all who confess 
ihj name, may agree in the truth of thy holy word, 
and live in unity and godly love. May numbers 
be daily added to thy Church, of such as shall be 
saved. 

Pity those who neglect thy holy Sabbaths. May 
they be brought to see their sinfulness and to re- 
pent, and to improve such of their holy time as 
still remains. Remember in much mercy those 
who through sickness, or any other impediment, are 
prevented from attending the ordinances of thy 
house, and the habitation which their soul loveth. 
Let thy presence be with them in their private 
meditations, even as with those who assemble to- 
gether, in the places where thine honor dwelleth. 

Have compassion upon all who are perishing out 
of Jesus Christ, the ark of safety. May he, who 
hath been set apart for a light to lighten the Gen- 
tiles, and the glory of thy people Israel, shine upon 
the nations which are sitting in darkness, and in 
the shadow of death. Greatly multiply the num- 
ber of those, who shall go forth into all the world 



248 OCCASIONAL PKAYEES. 

and preach the Oospel to every creature* Let 
nation after nation be converted to the Christian 
faith, until the kingdoms of this world become the 
kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christj and the 
earth be filled with the knowledge of thy glory, as 
the waters cover the sea. 

Hear, Lord, these our imperfect petitions, and 
answer them in the multitude of thy tender mer- 
cies, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Lord 
and Saviour, to whom, with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. 

Our Father, &c. 



WHITSUNDAY. 
Evening. 
Father of mercies and God of all consolation and 
grace ! thou hast been pleased to favor us with the 
light, and blessings, and privileges of another of 
thy holy Sabbaths, and we desire to praise thee, at 
this time, in the sincerity of our hearts, for all 
that we have thus received at thy hands. This 
day have we again had the glad tidings of salva- 
tion, in and through a crucified but risen Redeem- 
er, proclaimed unto us. Especially have our 
thoughts and attention been directed to that great 
event in the history of thy apostolic Church, the 
outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon thy disciples^ 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 249 

which this day is designed to commemorate. Oh 
that we may be enabled to feel properly thankful 
to thee for the fidelity, which thou didst therein 
evince to thy promises, as well as to the interests 
of thy people. And grant, that as the Holy Ghost, 
the Comforter has come, so he may abide with us 
forever, and lead us into all truth. 

We confess, Lord, that we have this day not 
improved in the midst of our mercies and privile- 
ges as we ought to have done. Imperfection and 
even sin, has mingled with our best attempts to 
serve thee. We pray, that thou wouldst, for Jesus 
sake, forgive all that thou hast seen amisg. At the 
same time, do thou add thy gracious blessing unto 
all that has been in accordance with thy will. May 
neither the cares, nor the pleasures of this world, 
destroy the seed of the word which may have this 
day been sown in our hearts ; but may it spring up, 
and bear fruit, some thirty, sixty, or an hundred 
fold. We have desired the sincere milk of the 
word, that we may grow thereby. We are anoth- 
er Sabbath day nearer the end of life. Do thou 
grant, that we may be nearer to heaven in our 
tempers, in our conduct, and in our desires, and 
afi^ections. From this night forth, we would de- 
sire to lead a life more conformable to the holy 
G-ospel we profess, and to the glorious hopes we are 
permitted to entertain. 17 



250 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

Be pleased, Lord, to follow with thy blessing 
the preaching of the Gospel everywhere. Wherev- 
er the name of Christ has this day been named, 
may multitudes see the need of his salvation, and 
be constrained to fly to him as their city of refuge. 
And let the glorious period spoken of by thy holy 
prophet soon come, when the whole earth shall be 
full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters 
cover the channel of the sea. Hear the interces- 
sions which have this day been put up through all 
thy churches ; especially such as have been offered 
in behalf of the land in which we dwell, its gov- 
ernment,, and thy Church. Pardon whatsoever 
has been asked amiss ; and wherein thy servants 
may have neglected to ask for needful blessings for 
themselves and others, do thou, of thine infinite 
goodness, supply the deficiency. 

And now, God, permit us to commend our 
bodies and souls to thy paternal care this night. 
Thou art the keeper of Israel,«who never slumber- 
eth nor sleepeth. Give us comfortable and refresh- 
ing sleep., Be at our right hand, and we will not 
fear what evil men, or evil spirits can do to us ; 
and having found that thou hast been our refuge 
and defence all the night long, may we awake in. 
the morning disposed to meditate upon thy good- 
ness and mercy. Oh may we live in thy love and 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 251 

fear all our days, and improve by every dispensa- 
tion of thy providence and grace, and at last be 
admitted with all who are allied to us by nature or 
grace, into th;;^ heavenly kingdom. We ask and 
hope for every blessing, in the name, and for the 
sake, of our dear Redeemer. 
Our Father, &c. 



UNDER DANGEROUS SICKNESS. 

Lord God ALMiaHTY ! in whom we all live, 
and move, and have our being ; we acknowledge, 
that it is of thy mercy that we have not been con- 
sumed ; yea, because thy compassion fails not, but 
is renewed every morning and evening, and re- 
peated every moment of our lives. Hadst thou 
long ere this time cut us down as cumberers of the 
ground, and shut us up in everlasting despair, thou 
wouldst have been righteous in thy dealings ; and 
justly mightest thou even now refuse to hear us in 
our prayers, who have so often refused to yield to 
the movings of thy Spirit upon our hearts. But 
thou, Lord, art God and not man. Thy thoughts 
are not as our thoughts, nor thy ways as our ways. 
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
thy thoughts above our thoughts, and thy ways 
above our ways. We rejoice to know, that thou 
art our refuge and our strength, and a very present 
help in time of trouble. 



252 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

We come to thee, Lord our God, at this timCj 
in behalf of him^ upon whom thou hast placed thy 
chastening hand, and who is now suffering from 
disease and pain. Look down, we humbly beseech 
thee, in great mercy upon Tiirn^ and show thyself 
favorable unto hwij according to the multitude of 
thy tender mercies in Christ Jesus. If thou wilt 
but speak the word, he shall be healed of all his 
maladies. In humble submission to thy righteous 
and holy will, would we, therefore, beg of thee, 
that thou wouldst be pleased to remove from hirrtj 
the disease from which he is now suffering, and 
restore him again to health. To this end, do thou 
direct to the use of such means, as thou shalt be 
pleased to own and bless for his recovery. Spare 
7^^7?^, good Lord, if it be thy blessed will ; and grant 
unto him still further time to work out his salva- 
tion, and to labor for the promotion of thy glory 
and the interests of our race. And however it shall 
please thee to deal with him as to the concerns of 
Ms body, which we pray thee, may be in a way of 
great gentleness and tender mercy ; do thou let his 
soul be ever precious in thy sight, and may even 
the present sickness be for the health of that im- 
mortal and better part. 

Give him proper views of the things, which be- 
long to his peace, before they be forever hid from 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 253 

his eyes. Show Mm what thou wilt have him to 
do ; and strengthen him for its faithful perform- 
ance, so that he may have an abiding peace with 
thee, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Give him 
true repentance towards God, and a right faith in 
the only Saviour of the world. Wash and cleanse 
his soul with the blood of thy Son, and the graces 
of thy Spirit, that it may be delivered from all the 
defilement it has contracted in this present evil 
world, and be found safe and happy in the hour of 
death, and in the great day of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

Fit him^ Lord, for living or dying, whatever, 
in thy wise and righteous providence, thou has de- 
signed for him ; so that it may be unto him Christ 
to live, and great, gain to die. May he^ in the 
midst of all, experience thy gracious goodness as ex- 
ercised in the Son of thy love, and thus ever find 
cause to glorify thy name. If thou shalt be pleas- 
ed to release him from his bed of languishing, and 
\ to permit him to live longer upon earth. Oh that 
! thou wouldst enable him to live to thee in thy fear 
and to thy praise, and to do thee better service, 
and bring thee greater glory, than he has ever 
heretofore done. But, shouldst thou have deter- 
mined that this sickness shall be unto death, and 
this visitation his last visitation, do thou, most 



254 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

merciful God, prepare Mm by thy grace, for the 
enjoyment of thyself ; and grant unto Am a safe 
and comfortable passage out of this wretched life 
to an infinitely better one, through the merits and 
mediation of thy beloved Son, our only Saviourj 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 



FOR ONE IN PROSPECT OF DEATH. 

THOU, who art the hope of Israel, and the 
Saviour thereof in time of trouble ! When all other 
hope and help fail, it is not in vain to seek unto 
thee for succor. Thou canst bring back from the 
mouth of the grave; and when it does not accord 
with thy will farther to prolong the temporal life, 
thou canst deliver from eternal death and bring safe 
to the blessed life everlasting. We would humbly 
supplicate thee, at this time, in behalf of Am, 
whose sick, and, in all probability, dying couch, 
we are now surrounding. If it be thy blessed will, 
spare his life, and restore him to health, notwith- 
standing the unfavorable prospects before him for 
such an issue. 

Should it, however, please thee, Lord, to re- 
alize our worst fears with regard to his case, and 
cause this sickness to end in his death, we pray 
thee to remember him in great mercy in the midst 
of his last, trying hours. Oh leave him not, nor 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 255 

forsake him ; but support and assist Am, in his 
sorest extremities. In his last agonies, when he is 
in conflict with the king of terrors, may he find the 
most sweet and seasonable aids from the Almighty 
God of his salvation ; and do thou not take him out 
of this life, until thou hast fitted him for a better. 
Stand by him in the dying hour, and secure him 
in thy hands from the enemies of his soul, and 
finish all that is wanting of the work of thy grace 
upon his heart. Freely and fully pardon all his 
sins, for the sake of the merits of the death of thy 
Son, and deliver him from them, and fit him to 
appear with comfort and rejoicing in thy blessed 
presence. Oh make his departure easy, and full 
of peace and hope. Carry him safe through the 
valley and shadow of death, and let him find it to 
be the gate of glory, and a door opened into the 
everlasting kingdom and joy of his Lord. 

Into thy hands we would commend his spirit. 
thou Father of mercies, be thou merciful to him^ 
and receive his departing soul, and when he is 
numbered among the dead, let him also be number- 
ed among the redeemed and blessed of the Lord, 
even for his sake, who himself died for sinners, and 
rose again, and lives and is alive for ever more, 
and has the keys of death and hell. To thy mer- 
cy in that Saviour of the world, most merciM 



256 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

Father, would we now humbly commit Mm ; be- 
seeching thee to be all in all to Mm^ and to do in- 
finitely better than we are worthy or able to ask 
for Mm ; and especially to make Mm thine in life 
and death, and for ever more, through the all- 
sufficient mediation of thy dear Son, our prevailing 
Advocate and Kedeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. 



THANKSGIVING FOR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS. 
Incomprehensibly great and ever glorious God ! 
we adore thee as a being infinite, eternal and un- 
changeable. Thou canst and dost do whatsoev- 
er thou pleasest. Thine eyes are in every place, 
beholding the evil and the good. May we always 
remember that wherever we are, there God is ; and 
that whatever we are doing, thine eye is upon us. 
Thou art acquainted with all our thoughts, words 
and actions, and knowest the secret purposes of 
our hearts. May we remember that our whole 
lives are recorded in thy book, for that day when 
all our thoughts, words, and actions will be brought 
into judgment. Let us not indulge the vain hope, 
that we can conceal our sins from God, or without 
repentance, escape thy wrath. 

We thank thy wisdom and love, that we have 
time allotted us for repentance, and that thou hast 
said, that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 267 

sin shall find mercy. Do tliou, -who art exalted to 
give repentance and remission of sins, give us 
hearts to mourn before thee all our ingratitude- and 
vileness, especially that we have loved thee no more 
and served thee no better ; and may we return as 
the prodigal, confessing that we have sinned. Fath- 
er, against heaven and before thee, and are not 
worthy to be called thy children. We pray that 
thou wouldst help us henceforth to forsake sin. 
May we fear God and keep his commandments ; do 
justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Let us not 
do anything whereby God shall be offended, our 
fellow creatures injured, or our own consciences 
burdened with guilt. 

Thou art ever placing us under great obligations 
to thee. May we at all times be mindful of thy 
mercies and make to thee those returns which are 
justly thy due. We would especially at this time 
tender to thee our grateful acknowledgments, for 
the kind interposition of thy Providence on the 
behalf of one of this family, whom thou hast re- 
covered from sickness, [and raised from the bor- 
ders of the grave. Thou killest and makest alive; 
thou woundest, and thou healest.] Make Mm 
whom thou hast graciously restored, and all the 
members of this family, unfeignedly thankful for 
thy delivering mercy, and let Ids life and ours show 



258 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

forth thy praise. Grant that both the aflliction 
and the mercy mav be sanctified as the means of 
bringing liim and ns nearer to thyself, and quicken- 
ing us in the great duties of life ; and Oh prepare 
us for a dying hour, whensoever it may come. To 
us to live, may it be Christ, and to die, gain. 

We now commend us one and all to thy special 
care. We pray thee to be with us through all the 
checkere;! scenes of life. Be thou our guide and 
guard. Keep us from all evil, but especially from 
sin. In dependence on thy grace, may it be our 
resolution, that our hearts thall not reproach us so 
long as we live ; and may we at last die in peace, 
and fall asleep in Jesus ; to whom with thee, the 
Father, and the eternal Spirit, be glory forever. 
Amen. 



THE MORNING BEFORE A FUNERAL. 
THOU, who art our great Creator, and, by 
thy good hand upon us, still our merciful Preserv- 
er, may we at this time approach the footstool of 
thy throne, with divine forgiveness and gracious 
acceptance. To whom can we go but unto thee, 
who art the Father of lights, and the fountain of 
every blessing : and who hast said in thy holy 
word, '•• Call upon me in the day of trouble ; I 
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.'* 
Thou hast also told us, that, '' It is better to go to 



I 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 259 

the house of mourning than to the house of feast- 
ing ; for that is the end of all men, and the living 
will lay it to his heart/' 

In thy wise and holy Providence, thou hast been 
pleased to take away by the hand of death, our 
deceased friend, [brother, sister, parent, or child.] 
His spirit has returned to thee, who gave it, and 
upon us devolves this day the mournful duty of 
committing Ms body to the earth out of which it 
was taken. Oh that thou wouldstlook upon us in 
great mercy in the midst of these solemn circum- 
stances, and enable us to pass properly and suc- 
cessfully through the trying scenes before us. May 
we upon this, and every other occasion, submit our- 
selves to thee, and say, with sincere and honest 
hearts: " The will of the Lord be done.'' Yea, 
may we imitate thy servant of old, who, in the 
midst of the sorest affliction, exclaimed with becom- 
ing resignation, " The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the 
Lord." 

We rejoice that thou hast not left us in our pres- 
ent circumstances, without sources of comfort and 
hope. Our blessed Redeemer hath said, '* I am 
the resurrection, and the life. He that believeth 
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.'* 
Oh that we may be enabled to look to him in this 



260 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

blessed aspect of his cliaracter. Help us to extend 
our views forward to that day when thou shalt re- 
deem our souls from the power of the grave, and 
when these bodies, which are sown in corruption, 
dishonor and w^eakness, shall be raised in incorrup- 
tion, glory, and power, and that saying be brought 
to pass — "Death is swallowed up in victory/' 
On that important " and interesting day, w^hen the 
world shall be judged in righteousness by that Jesus 
whom God the Father hath appointed, may we and 
all our deceased friends, appear clothed with his 
righteousness, and hear him pronounce those gra- 
cious words : " Come ye blessed of my Father, in- 
herit the kingdom prepared for you from the foun- 
dation of the world." 

Knowing these precious truths, may we be ena- 
bled, Lord, in the midst of our trying circumstan- 
ces, to comfort ourselves together, and to edify one 
another, ever reckoning that " the sufferings of 
this present time are not w^orthy to be compared 
to the glory that shall be revealed in us," and be- 
ing assured, " that our light affliction, which is 
but for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex- 
ceeding and eternal weight of glory." Especially, 
may we, in our happy experience, find our afflic- 
tions so sanctified to us, as to lead us to sincere 
repentance for all our sins, wean our hearts and 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 261 

affections from the perishing things of this world, 
and prepare us for spending at last an eternity of 
blessedness with thee in heaven. 

Now, unto Him, who is able to keep us from 
falling, and to present us faultless before the pres- 
ence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only 
wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, do- 
minion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 



THE EVENING AFTER A FUNERAL. 

Father of mercies, and God of all consolation 
and grace ! thou hast often invited us to thyself, 
by kindness ; and it is evidence of our great de- 
pravity, that we think of thee so little in our times 
of ease and prosperity. We are now before thee 
in affliction and distress ; but we rejoice to know, 
that thou art a very present and an all-sufficient 
help in trouble. Thou takest away, and who can 
hinder thee, or say unto thee. What doest thou ? 
Thou hast a right to do what thou wilt with thine 
own. Thou art a Sovereign, and the reasons of 
thy conduct are often far above, out of our sight; 
but thy work is perfect, thy ways are judgment. 
All thy dispensations are wise and righteous, and 
kind — kind, even when they seem to be severe. 

May we hear thy voice in thy rod, as well as in 
thy word ; and gathering from the corrections with 



262 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

"which we are exercised, the peaceable fruits of 
righteousness, be able to acknowledge with all our 
suffering brethren before us, " It is good for us, 
that we have been afflicted/' It is not thy word 
only that reminds us of our living in a dying world, 
but all observation and experience. Man is con- 
tinually going to his long home, and the mourners 
daily go about the streets. And we are accom- 
plishing as a hireling, our day ; and in a little time 
our neighbors, friends and relatives will seek us — 
and we shall not be. Thou hast made our days as 
a hand's breadth, and our age is as nothing before 
thee ; verily man at his best estate is altogether 
vanity. For our days are not only few, but full of 
evil. 

We acknowledge with shame and sorrow, that 
the state of degradation and mortality in which we 
groan was not our original condition. Thou madest 
man upright ; but he sought out many inventions. 
By one man sin entered into the world and death 
by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that 
all have sinned. We bless thee that this is not our 
final state. By the discoveries of faith, we see 
new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth 
righteousness. We see the spirits of just men made 
perfect. We see our vile bodies changed, and 
fashioned like the Saviour's own glorious body ; 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 2^ 

and man, the sinner, raised above the angels, who 
never sinned. Glory be to thee, for thy purpose 
of grace formed before the world began, and ac- 
complished in the fulness of time, by the Son of 
thy love, who hath abolished death, and brought 
life and immortality to light by the Gospel. 

Oh let not the trifles of time induce us to neglect 
the one thing needful. While each of us is com- 
pelled to say, ^' I know thou wilt bring me to death, 
and to the house appointed for all living," may we 
be enabled also to say, " I know whom I have be- 
lieved, and am persuaded that he is able to keep 
that which I have committed to him against that 
day." Let not, we beseech thee, the solemnities 
in which we have this day participated, be ever for- 
gotten ; for often, our most serious impressions 
have worn off, and our goodness has been as the 
morning cloud and the early dew that soon pas- 
seth away. 

Thou hast permitted death to invade our circle, 
and hast turned our dwelling into a house of mourn- 
ing. May we find that it is better to be in the 
house of mourning, than in the house of mirth. By 
the sadness of the countenance, may the heart be 
made better, more serious to reflect, and more 
softened to receive impression. With the feelings 
of the creature, may we blend the views and the 



264 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

hopes of the Christian. May we remember that 
thou hast bereaved us, resuming what was lent for 
a season, but never ceased to be thine own. Mav 
we, therefore, be dumb and not open our mouth, 
because thou hast done it ; or if we speak, may it 
be to acknowledge and pray — We know, Lord, 
that thy judgments are right, and that thou in 
faithfulness hast afflicted us ; let thy loving-kind- 
ness be for our comfort, according to thy word un- 
to thy servants. 

We now commit us to thy care and keeping du- 
ring the night that is before us. We pray thee to 
be near unto us and to watch over us for good. 
May we awake in the morning refreshed, and find 
thee to be present with us still ; and we shall give 
all the glory unto the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen. 



SOCIAL MEETING. 
Opening. 
Father of mercies and God of all consolation 
and grace ! we have assembled at this time, for the 
purpose of spending a short season together in ex- 
ercises of religious worship. We rejoice that this 
privilege has been accorded us, and especially, that 
we have so much encouragement given us to spread 
our wants before thee, and to seek their supply out 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 265 

of thine inexhaustible fulness. Oh that thou wouldst 
look upon us in mercy, and, for the sake of Jesus 
Christ thy Son, manifest thyself graciously pres- 
ent with us and impart unto us those influences, 
which we need to approach thee in a becoming and 
acceptable manner. 

We are sinners by nature, having come into this 
world with corrupt hearts, which incline us to evil 
continually. Our daily conduct also corresponds 
with our evil inclinations. We leave undone the 
things which we ought to do, and do the things 
which we ought not to do, and there is no spiritu- 
al health in us. Wert thou to deal with us as our 
sins deserve, we could not stand before thee ; but 
must sink beneath the inflictions of thine indigna- 
tion and wrath, into everlasting woe and despair. 
We rejoice to know, however, that although such 
is our undone condition in and of ourselves, yet 
there is hope even for such guilty sinners as we 
are. Thou didst lay help upon one, who is able 
and mighty to save, all who come unto thee through 
him. In Jesus Christ thy Son, there is plenteous 
redemption. We praise thee for the rich provis- 
ion thou hast made in him for the salvation of our 
souls ; and pray, that thou wouldst, for his sake, 
blot out all our transgressions, and love us freely, 
and do us good. Lift upon us the light of thy 
18 



266 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

life-glving and reconciled countenance, and impart 
unto us that joy and blessedness, which those ex- 
perience, whose transgressions are forgiven and 
"whose sins are covered. 

Be pleased, Lord, graciously to look upon us, 
at this time, as a band of worshippers. May the 
short season we spend together in our present ca- 
pacity, be both pleasant and profitable to our souls, 
as well as redound to the glory of thy great and 
excellent name. To this end, we pray thee, to pre- 
side over all the exercises in which we shall engage^ 
and cause them to be, in all respects, such as shall 
be pleasing to thee. Grant unto us both collec- 
tively and individually the several blessings which 
our circumstances render necessary for us. Are 
we thy children by profession ? May we prove 
ourselves, by our walk and conversation, to be such 
in truth and in deed. For this purpose, do thou 
impart unto us largely of the influences of thy di- 
vine grace, so that we may be thoroughly furnish- 
ed unto every good word and work. Oh that the 
Holy Ghost may constantly take up his abode with 
us, and rule in our hearts and over our lives. Are 
any of us still the children of wrath ? Do thou 
bring us to immediate repentance, and conduct us 
to the only Lamb of God, who taketh away the 
sins of the world. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 267 

Bless the several families to which we respective- 
ly belong. May they all be families formed for 
thine own praise ; fearing thee and following after 
righteousness and peace. Grant that the individ- 
ual members thereof may all be members of that 
great family of which Christ Jesus is the Head, 
and whose privilege it shall be to dwell with him 
for ever in heaven. Look in great mercy upon 
the congregation with which we are connected. 
Revive thy work in the hearts of its members, and 
add unto their number daily of such as shall be 
saved. May he who labors amongst us in holy 
things, be a man after thine own heart, full of the 
Holy Ghost, constantly going in and out before us, 
and faithfully breaking unto us the bread of life. 
Crown his labors with the most abundant success. 

Bless thy Church universal. Greatly lengthen 
her cords and strengthen her stakes. Multiply 
her ministers, as well as her membership, and may 
all be found true to their relations and obligations. 
Hasten the coming of thy kingdom. Bring to 
naught the works of darkness, and cause righteous- 
ness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost speedi- 
ly everywhere to abound. 

Grant us, Lord, these our feeble requests ; and 
the glory shall be thine. Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost, in a world without end. 

Our Father, &c. 



268 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

SOCIAL MEETING. 
Close. 

Thou hast been pleased, Lord, to favor us, at 
this time, with the privilege of meeting together 
in a social capacity, and of engaging, for a short 
season, in exercises of religious worship. We thank 
thee for this fresh token of thy favor, and pray thee 
to follow with thy blessing the services in which 
we have been engaged, so far as they have been 
in accordance with thy will. Oh that we may all 
be the better, the happier and the wiser, in conse- 
quence of the influences which have been brought 
to bear upon us at this time ! Hast thou seen any- 
thing amiss in us ? We pray thee in mercy to for- 
give. We know that imperfection and sin mingle 
with our very best attempts to serve thee. Lay 
not, Lord, our shortcomings to our charge, nor 
suffer our sins to prove our ruin. 

When viQ retire from this place, accompany us 
with thy presence and blessing into the busy scenes 
of this world. May we carry with us into all our 
pursuits, a sense of our obligations to thee, and 
prosecute our various callings with a direct refer- 
ence to thy righteous and holy will. Give us suc- 
cess in all our lawful undertakings, and keep us 
from everything offensive to thee. May thy love 
be shed abroad in our hearts by the power of the 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 269 

Holy Ghost, and we be enabled ever to exemplify 
in our life and conduct, the holy principles of the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do thou thus use us, sev- 
erally, as instruments in thy hands for the accom- 
plishment of some good in our day and generation. 

Shall we ever be permitted to meet again for so- 
cial prayer, may we find thee to be graciously pres- 
ent with us still, and that for the purpose of bles- 
sing us and doing us good. Oh that we may all 
derive special pleasure from the services in which 
we thus engage, and find them to be highly profit- 
able to our souls. Grant that thy people every- 
where, may esteem it a great privilege to meet often 
together, for the purpose of communing with thee 
and with each other. May they find themselves 
thus greatly refreshed, and quickened in the ways 
of holy obedience. 

Hear us, Lord, in these our prayers. Forgive 
us our sins. Bless our souls. And when thou 
hast subserved thy wise and holy purposes with 
respect to us here below, bring us safely home to 
thyself in glory, through riches of grace in Christ 
Jesus our Redeemer. Amen. 



SOCIAL MEETING. 
Opening, 
Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah ! we appear 
before thee at this time as a band of worshippers, 



270 , OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

and desire to present to thee our united sacrifice 
of prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving. Oh that 
thou wouldst condescend to visit us in mercy, and 
to manifest in our midst, that special presence of 
thine which thou hast promised, vrhere two or three 
have met together in thy name. We acknowledge 
ourselves to be unworthy of the least of all thy 
mercies, much less of so great a privilege as that 
of access to thee. But we come to thee, not in our 
name, but in the name of Jesus Christ thy Son, 
who is worthy ; and we pray thee to look upon us 
in him, and for his sake, to grant us a gracious 
acceptance with thee. 

Our wants are many and great ; but thou canst 
supply them all out of thine inexhaustible fulness. 
Help us, at all times, to spread them before thee, 
and especially when assembled in a capacity like 
the present. Our sins are many and highly ag- 
gravated, and might justly incur for us thy sore 
displeasure. But we rejoice to know that there 
is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be fear- 
ed, yea, plenteous redemption in Jesus Christ thy 
Son. In ourselves also, we are wholly incapable 
of doing anything that is truly good. Thou, how- 
ever, hast declared thy grace to be suiEcient for 
us, and promised to perfect thy strength in our 
weakness. May we realize the fulfilment of this 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 271 

declaration and promise in our happy experience. 
Oh that thou wouldst manifest thyself graciously 
present with us at all times, granting unto us the 
full and free remission of all our sins, and qualify- 
ing us for the faithful and successful discharge of 
all the duties incumbent upon us. 

We thank thee for the numberless blessings and 
privileges we are permitted to enjoy. Thou art 
providing for all our temporal wants as they re- 
turn. We have food to eat and raiment to put on, 
and are furnished with comfortable places of abode. 
Yea, we have all that is essential to the support 
and comfort of our bodies. With these temporal 
mercies, thou art pleased also to add the blessings 
and privileges of thy grace. We have thy word 
in our possession to read and examine for ourselves, 
and are furnished with various helps to arrive at a 
proper knowledge of its sacred contents. Thy 
throne of grace is at all times accessible to us, and 
every encouragement is afforded us frequently to 
present ourselves before it. Thou art also favor- 
ing us with the privileges of social worship. Thou 
hast given unto us the living ministry, and dost 
grant us thy Sabbaths, with the ordinances of thy 
house, and all the blessings and privileges, which 
are peculiar to thy Sabbaths in a Christian land. 
We praise thee for all the mercies, both temporal 



272 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

and spiritual, thou art thus pleased to bestow upon 
us, and pray for grace and strength to appreciate 
them as we ought, and to improve them to the pur- 
pose for which they have been given. 

Bless us, at this time, both collectively and indi- 
vidually. Pour out upon us largely of the graces 
of thy Holy Spirit. May we all be made thy chil- 
dren, and constituted heirs of heaven. Help us to 
walk worthy of our high and holy vocation, so that 
we may glorify thee, our Father, and our God, in 
our bodies and in our spirits, which are thine. 
Look in mercy upon the congregation from which 
we are gathered together. Grant unto it peace 
and prosperity. May its pastor be found faithful 
to his important trust, and prove instrumental in 
thy hands in accomplishing much good. May thy 
children be built up in their most holy faith, and 
sinners converted unto thee. 

Greatly prosper thy Church every where. 
Multiply converts to the faith of thy Son. Large- 
ly increase the number of ministers of the Gospel. 
Qualify them for their work, and make them suc- 
cessful in it. Let thy kingdom speedily come, and 
thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 

Be with us, whilst we shall continue together in 
our present capacity. Preside over all the exer- 
cises in which we shall engage, and overrule them 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 273 

for the good of our souls, and the glory of thy 
name. We ask all in the name, and for the sake 
of him, who hath taught us, when addressing thee, 
to say, 

Our Father, &c. 



SOCIAL MEETING. 
Close. 

Our Father, who art in heaven ! we praise thee 
that thou hast made us rational and intelligent 
creatures, capable of knowing, and loving, and 
serving thee, the living and true God ; and hast 
placed us in circumstances highly favorable to the 
development of these holy and heavenly principles 
of our nature. We would especially thank thee 
for the privilege we have enjoyed of meeting to- 
gether at this time as a band of worshippers. May 
the exercises in which we have been engaged, be 
found greatly profitable to our souls. Grant that 
the impressions we have received, may all be deep- 
ened, and result in bringing forth permanent fruit 
in our lives. 

We are thy professed children. Oh that we may 
be such in truth and in deed, and walk, in all re- 
spects, worthy of our high and holy vocation. We 
know that in and of ourselves, we are incapable of 
doing anything, that is truly good. All our hope 



274 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

IS in thee and all our help must come from thee. 
Do thou, therefore, manifest thyself present with 
us at all times, guiding us in all our ways, and 
strengthening us for the faithful performance of 
every duty. May we steadfastly resist every temp- 
tation to evil, and cleave only to that which is 
pleasing to thee. May the influence we exert be 
ever such as shall tell favorably upon the interests 
of all with whom we have to do, and redound 
greatly to the glory of thy high and exalted name. 

Grant that all, in every place, who profess to be 
thine, may be true to their relations and obliga- 
tions. May they ever regard themselves as not 
their own, but as belonging to their faithful Saviour 
Jesus Christ, and glorify thee, both w^ith their 
bodies and spirits, which are thine. May the 
number of thy faithful followers be greatly multi- 
plied. To this end, do thou convert sinners from 
the error of their w^ays, to the service of thee, the 
living and true God. Bless all the instrumentali- 
ties thou art pleased to employ for this purpose, 
and succeed them in the end, whereunto they are 
sent. Hasten thus the coming of thy kingdom and 
fill the whole earth with thy glory. 

Hear us, at this time, in our prayers. Forgive 
whatsoever thou mayest have seen amiss in our at- 
tempts to serve thee. Let thy blessing attend us 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 275 

throughout the whole journey of life, and at last, 
when we are done serving thee on earth, permit us 
to enter into the joys of heaven through riches 
of grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. 



MONTHLY CONCERT FOR MISSIONS. 
Opening, 

Through thy good providence over us, Lord, 
have we been permitted to assemble at this time, 
for the purpose of imploring thy mercy and sup- 
plicating thy favor upon a perishing world. May 
we be duly sensible of the nature of the circum- 
stances in which we are thus placed, and enabled 
to present before thee, a sacrifice which shall be 
acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ our 
Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer. 

We desire to acknowledge thee as the Father of 
all flesh, who hast made of one blood all the na- 
tions of men to dwell on the face of all the earth; 
and hast fixed the bounds of their habitation. 
Thou upholdest all in being ; providest for their 
wants ; causest thy sun to rise on the evil and on 
the good, and sendest rain on the just and on the 
unjust. We rejoice, our Father, and thank thee 
for thy goodness to all men. We praise thee that 
thou hast had mercy on the human family, and 
hast provided a plan of salvation, adapted to the 



276 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

wants of all mankind. Especially would we thank 
thee, that we are permitted to rejoice in the bles- 
sings of this salvation, and we pray that we may 
feel properly concerned for thelnterests of those 
who are still deprived of the privileges we thus en- 
joy. Thou hast promised, in relation to the spread 
and final triumph of the Gospel of thy dear Son, 
that the heathen shall be given to him for his in- 
heritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for 
his possession ; and that the desert shall bud and 
blossom as the rose, and the wilderness and solita- 
ry place shall be glad. We rejoice in view of these 
promises, and would take encouragement from 
them to labor and pray for the coming of thy 
kingdom. 

Look down in mercy upon us and on all who 
have at this time assembled to supplicate thy bles- 
sing on a fallen world. Impart to us and all thy 
people a spirit of grace and supplication. May all 
approach thy throne with humble hearts ; with true 
faith ; and with earnest desires, that thy kingdom 
may come and thy will be done on earth as in heav- 
en. May we feel that we are pleading for the sal- 
vation of a dying world ; and give thee no rest 
until the righteousness of Zion go forth as bright- 
ness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. 
Do thou graciously hear and answer our supplica- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 277 

tions. Look in mercy upon a ruined world. Pity 
the nations that are sitting in the region and shad- 
ow of death ; and roay the sun of righteousness 
arise upon them with healing in his beams. May 
the dark places of the earth, now full of the habi- 
tations of cruelty, become the dwelling-place of 
righteousness, and the abodes of peace. May the 
ignorant be enlightened ; the wretched comfort- 
ed, and the oppressed go free. May the glorious 
Gospel shed its blessings on all the nations of the 
earth ; and all the means now used to advance the 
glory of the latter day, be crowded with success. 

Be with those, most merciful Father, who 
have gone to other lands, to make known the un- 
searchable riches of Christ. Impart unto them 
much of the Spirit of thy dear Son. Give them 
wisdom to direct them ; grace to support them in 
all their trials, and success in all their efforts. 
Make them burning and shining lights among the 
nations. May they be kept from sin and tempta- 
tion ; from despondency and doubt : from persecu- 
tion and want. In all their trials, may they stay 
themselves on thee, and ever have an unshaken 
confidence in the promises of thy holy word. Keep, 
by thy mighty power, all who among the heathen 
have been converted to the Christian faith. Pre- 
serve them from temptation and apostacy. Afford 



278 OCCASIONAL PKAYEKS. 

them light and strength as they need, and amid 
all the trials with which they, may meet, may they 
find thee to be a present help, a refuge, and a 
strength. May they see more and more of the 
beauty of that religion which they profess, and 
daily rejoice more and more in hope of the glory 
of God. 

Remember in much mercy, the destitute in our 
own land. Send them the living ministry, with all 
the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May 
thy work greatly prosper amongst them ; and the 
voice of praise and thanksgiving be continually 
heard in all their dwellings. Infuse into all thy 
people a proper missionary spirit, so that they may 
deeply sympathise with the destitute and the per- 
ishing, and cheerfully contribute of their substance, 
and labor by every other means in their power, to 
extend the blessings of salvation unto all who are 
destitute of them. Multiply missionaries of the 
cross of Christ. Qualify them for their work; send 
them forth into every portion of thy moral vine- 
yard, and give them success in all their labors of 
love. 

We beseech thee also, to advance all the great 
interests of man. May the blessings of civil and 
religious freedom, of Christian education, and of 
peace, be everyvxhere enjoyed. May wars and ru- 



OCCASIONAL PKAYERS. 279 

mors of wars cease. May the sword be beat into 
a ploughshare, and the spear into a pruning hook, 
and nations learn war no more. Let the mild and 
peaceful principles of thy glorious Gospel every- 
w^here prevail, and the ends of the earth be soon 
filled with thy glory. 

Graciously hear us, at this time, in our suppli- 
cations. Remit unto us all our sins. Preside 
over the exercises in which we shall be still further 
engaged ; and overrule all for the good of our souls, 
the interests of thy kingdom and the glory of thy 
name ; and thine shall be all the praise. Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost, both now and in a world 
without end. Amen. 



MONTHLY CONCERT FOR MISSIONS. 

Close. 
Our Father, who art in heaven, we approach 
thee once more at the close of our present religious 
services, and would thank thee for all thy mercies 
and implore thy blessing on us and on all mankind. 
We would especially praise thee that we have been 
born in a Christian land, and that we are still fa- 
vored with the privileges of thy Gospel, notwith- 
standing we have failed to appreciate and improve 
them as we ought to have done. Millions of our 
fellow beings also, are at this time sitting in the 



280 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS, 

region and shadow of death. On them no light 
has arisen, and none have gone to them to break 
to them the bread of life. Make us sensible of 
thy distinguishing mercy to us. May we remem- 
ber, that where much is given, much will be requir- 
ed ; and that soon we must appear at thy bar, with 
an assembled world, to render an account for the 
improvement of all our privileges. And whilst we 
are duly careful of our own mercies, may we be 
properly concerned to extend the blessings of thy 
grace and salvation unto all who are destitute of 
them. 

Be pleased to hear the prayers which have at 
this time been offered in behalf of thy Zion. Grant 
an answer to the desires and supplications of thy 
people. Send out thy light and thy truth into the 
world, and let all nations be blessed with the Gos- 
pel of thy grace. We commend to thee thine own 
cause. Look in mercy upon every portion of man- 
kind. May thy people be more deeply impressed 
with the wants and woes of their fellow beings. 
May they more and more deny themselves ; feel 
more deeply afflicted in view of all the miseries and 
crimes of our race, and be more earnestly desirous 
that all nations should hear thy Gospel. 

We commend to thy care all Missionary, Tract, 
Bible, and Education^Societies, and all the institu- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 281 

tions of benevolence in our land and throughout 
the world. May those who are called, in thy Prov- 
idence, to direct the charities of thy people, and 
to preside in the institutions of benevolence, be 
endowed with true wisdom, with conscientiousness, 
with a spirit of prayer, and with deep and expan- 
sive benevolence. May they ever feel their re- 
sponsibility, and in all their deliberations be con- 
ducted to such results, as shall be for the glory of 
thy name, and for the speedy and universal exten- 
sion of the Gospel among the nations of the earth. 
We pray that true religion may be every where 
revived. We beseech thee to send forth more la- 
borers into the harvest. May all our schools and 
colleges be under thy fostering care, and may the 
young men of this land, and this generation, be 
imbued with the spirit of self-denial, and with a 
readiness to obey thy call in diffusing the blessings 
of civilization and Christianity among all men. 
May every continent and island partake of thy 
blessing, and every nation and tribe speedily hear 
in their own language, the wonderful works of God. 
Let thy holy word be translated into all the lan- 
guages of the earth, and every habitation of man 
be soon blessed with the inestimable treasure of 
life. 

Our prayers, Lord, are before thee. Wilt 
19 



282 OCCASlONAti PRAYERS. 

thou hear us in mercy, and answer us in peace ; 
and do unto us, as well as unto all for whom w^e 
pray, as thou seest we severally need, and at last, 
when thou hast subserved thy wise and holy pur- 
poses with us here below, admit us all into thy 
kingdom above, through Jesus Christ our Lord and 
Redeemer. Amen. 



SABBATH SCHOOL CONCERT, OR TEACHERS' MEETING. 

Opening. 

Lord, our God ! thou art infinitely great and 
infinitely good. Thy glory is above all our thoughts, 
and thy mercies are over all thy works. We have 
assembled at this time, for the purpose of com- 
mending to thee, a cause, whose interests lie near 
our hearts, and intimately involve the welfare of 
souls and the glory of thy name. We thank thee, 
that thou hast caused Sabbath Schools to be estab- 
lished, in which the young are taught the things 
which relate to the interests of thy kingdom and 
the salvation of their souls ; and we humbly implore 
thy blessing upon all who are engaged in them 
either as teachers or as learners. 

Enlighten by thy Holy Spirit those who are 
teachers, that they may truly understand thy word. 
Make them the true friends of Jesus Christ. May 
they be endowed with his spirit of self-denial, pa- 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS^ 283 

tience, humility, and prayer. May they evermore 
copy the example of Him who, when on earth, said, 
Sufier little children, and forbid them not to come 
unto me. While they are engaged in instructing 
the rising generation, in leading others to the cross 
of Christ, may they themselves be interested in thy 
promises, and sanctified by all their eflforts to pro- 
mote thy glory. And grant, gracious God, that 
their labors may be attended with thy blessing. 

Do thou send down thy Spirit on all Sunday 
Schools, that the rising generation may grow up 
in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and in prepara- 
tion for great usefulness in the Church, and in the 
State. May Schools be established in all desti- 
tute places of our land ; and all the means used to 
enlarge and perpetuate these blessings be crowned 
with success. iSTever sufi*er the zeal of thy people 
to languish in this cause, or thy ministers to forget 
their obligations to use every influence in their 
power to promote the religious training of the rising 
generation. Hear and answer the prayers which 
have been, or still may be, offered in behalf of Sab- 
bath Schools, by those who feel interested in their 
prosperity. Excite in all thy people a spirit of 
benevolence, and fill the whole earth with thy glory. 

Manifest thyself graciously present with us, 
whihit we continue together in our present capaci- 



284 OCCASIONAL PEAYEBS. 

ty. Preside over the exercises in wliicli we shall 
be engaged. May they all he of such a character 
as shall best subserve the object of our coming to- 
gether. May we alb be stirred up to increased 
zeal and activity in the particular cause in which 
we are engaged. Bless the School [Schools] whose 
interests are now especially represented in this 
assembly. May all the teachers prove faithful to 
their responsible trust ; and may those committed 
to their care, greatly profit by the instructions they 
receive. Thus may our School [Schools] be in- 
strumental in accomplishing much good ; and all 
who are connected with it [them] either as teachers 
or scholars, be fitted for serving thee faithfully in 
their day and generation, and permitted at last to 
sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the 
kingdom of heaven. 

We ask these mercies and blessings in the name 
and for the sake of Him, who taught us, when ad- 
dressing thee, to say, 

Our Father, fee. 



SABBATH SCHOOL CONCERT, OR TEACHERS' MEETING. 

Olose. 
Once more, Lord, would v/e draw near to thee, 
and present before thee our supplication and pray- 
er. Do thou look upon us in mercy, and for the 



OCCASIONAL PRAYEKS. 285 

sake of Jesus Christ thy Son, confer upon us the 
blessings we crave in accordance with thy will. 

We thank thee for the privilege we have enjoy- 
ed of meeting together at the present time, and 
engaging in the services which have occupied our 
attention. Do thou follovf with thy blessing all 
that thou canst approve, and forgive whatsoever 
thou hast seen amiss. Look vfith special favor 
upon the cause of Sabbath Schools. May the in- 
struction imparted in these Schools, so far as it 
accords vnth thy word, be accompanied by the in- 
fluences of the Holy Spirit, so that it may be deep- 
ly impressed on the heart, and produce abundant 
fruit in the life. Give grace to those, who are 
teachers, that they may be deeply impressed with 
their responsibility. Grant that they themselves 
may be thy children, and engage in their work 
with an earnest desire to benefit those entrusted to 
their charge. May their minds be enlightened^ 
that they may understand thy word. May they 
see clearly the great plan of redeeming mercy. 
May they be enabled to present thy truth simply, 
clearly, with affection and with prayer. May the 
Sacred Spirit, the Comforter, be given them, to 
guide them into all truth. 

And be pleased, Lord, to bless all the chil- 
dren in those Schools. Preside over them, and 



286 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

guide them by thy Holy Spirit. Grant to them 
teachable minds. May they learn the paths of 
•wisdom, and delight in instruction. May their 
hearts be given to their Saviour in their early years. 
May they come unto him, who, when on earth, said, 
Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come 
unto me ; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 
Take, blessed Saviour, those lambs of the flock 
into thine arms, and guide them by thine unerring 
counsel. Defend them from the perils and temp- 
tations of life ; and conduct them to the joys of 
thine everlasting kingdom. 

Bless especially the children of the School 
[Schools] represented in this assembly. May they 
be trained up in the knowledge of thy name ; and 
may the instruction imparted to them in accord- 
ance with thy word, be attended with thy blessing, 
and be the means of fitting them for the duties of 
this life, and for dwelling with thee at last forever 
in heaven. 

These mercies, Lord, and everything else thou 
seest to be needful for us, or for the cause more 
especially remembered before thee at this time, w^e 
humbly ask in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, 
our most gracious Lord and Redeemer. Amen. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 287 

SABBATH SCHOOL. 
Opening. 

Through thy good providence over us, Lord, 
have we been permitted to assemble at this time as 
a Sabbath School. We thank thee for the privi- 
lege we thus enjoy ; and pray for grace and 
strength to appreciate it aright and to improve it 
to the purpose for which it has been given. Of 
ourselves we are insufficient for the right perform- 
ance of any duty. It is in thy strength only that 
we can do all things. Oh that thou wouldst, there- 
fore, look upon us in mercy, and for the sake of 
Jesus Christ thy Son, impart unto us the influen- 
ces we severally need. 

May those of us, who are teachers in this Sab- 
bath School, possess the spirit of our stations and 
be enabled to discharge our duties faithfully in 
thy fear. May we realize our responsibility, and 
labor as those who know that they must give an 
account. Grant that we ourselves may properly 
apprehend the truths of the Gospel, and be person- 
ally interested in its great salvation, so that we 
may successfully recommend them to others. Es- 
pecially may he, to whom the management of this 
School is more particularly entrusted, receive that 
wisdom from above which is profitable to direct. 
And may our united eiforts be owned and blessed 
unto the end whereunto they are sent. 



288 OCCASIONAL PKAYEKSo 

Look, in great mercy, upon the children gather- 
ed into this Sabbath School. May their souls be 
precious in thy sight. Open their hearts for the 
reception of thy truth. May they realize that 
they have never dying souls to save, and be ena- 
bled to remember thee, their Creator, in the days 
of their youth. Oh that they may early betake 
themselves to that Saviour, who only can save 
them from their sins. Do thou shield them against 
the various unhallowed influences to which they are 
exposed. And may the instruction imparted to 
them in the Sabbath School, sink deep into their 
hearts, and bring forth appropriate fruit in their 
lives. Bless the families from which they have 
gathered together. May they all be families fear- 
ing thee, and following after righteousness and 
peace. 

Look favorably upon the whole Sabbath School 
cause. Establish Schools in every place, where 
they do not already exist ; and maj^ they, through 
thy blessing, be instrumental in accomplishing 
much good. 

Hear us, Lord, at this time in our prayers. 
Fully and freely remit unto us all our sins. And 
grant that we may all so conduct ourselves, in the 
midst of our mercies and privileges, that, at last, 
we shall be able to render our account unto thee 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 289 

"svith joy and not with grief ; and all we ask is in 
the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Re- 
deemer, to whom with thee, the Father and the 
Holy Spirit be ascribed present and eternal praise. 
Amen. 



SABBATH SCHOOL. 

Close. 

Almighty and most merciful God ! at the close 
of the exercises of our School, we would once more 
draw near unto thee in prayer, in the name of Je- 
sus Christ thy Son. Oh that thou wouldst look 
upon us with favor, and command upon us the 
blessings thou hast to bestow, and of which we 
stand in need. 

We thank thee for the privilege of meeting to- 
gether once more as a Sabbath School, and attend- 
ing to the exercises which devolve upon us in this 
capacity. Do thou now follow with thy blessing, 
the instruction imparted this day in this and eve- 
ry other Sabbath School. May the truths of thy 
holy word be deeply impressed on the minds of the 
children, and may they grow up in the knowledge 
and love of Jesus Christ the Saviour. May those 
truths so influence their minds and hearts, as to 
guide and comfort them in all the journey of life. 
Grant, Lord, that as they advance in years, they 



290 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

may evince the benefits of the instruction received 
in the Sabbath School; and that this generation 
may be trained up devoted to thy cause, and pre- 
pared to promote thy glory, when their parents and 
teachers shall have descended to the tomb. 

Be pleased also graciously to bless the teachers 
in this and every other Sabbath School. Let their 
hearts be comforted by seeing the work of the Lord 
prospering in their hands. In their own souls, may 
they experience the reward of their self-denials and 
toils ; and in thine everlasting kingdom may they 
at last be admitted to a seat at thy right hand, 
with thousands saved by the instrumentality of 
Sabbath Schools. 

Dismiss us now with thy blessing. Forgive 
whatsoever thou hast seen amiss in us, whether as 
teachers or scholars ; and may we so conduct our- 
selves in our journey through life, that at last, when 
our Sabbath mercies and privileges on earth shall 
end, we may be permitted to spend an eternal Sab- 
bath of blessedness with thee in heaven, through 
riches of grace in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. 
Amen. 



WEEK DAY SCHOOL. 
Morning. 
Almighty God ! who hast made all things by 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 291 

thy power, and by whose word they are and were 
created ; we desire to humble ourselves before thee 
for all our sins ; and to pray that we may be saved 
by his merits, who came to seek and to save those 
who are lost. Bless us each one as we severally 
need. Do good to our friends and benefactors. 
May we forgive all those who have wronged us, as 
we need and hope for thy forgiveness, whom we 
have so greatly provoked and injured. 

Look thou with special favor upon those now 
before thee, who are still in the morning of life, 
that season so favorable for religious impression. 
May they have a deep sense of the worth of their 
souls, and of the importance of thy favor. Make 
them early acquainted with the ways of Christ. 
May they love their blessed Redeemer, and grate- 
fully devote themselves to his service. Sanctify 
to them the instruction which they here receive, 
and whilst their minds become expanded with 
knowledge, may their hearts be filled with thy 
grace. May they duly honor their parents ; be 
respectful to their superiors, and kind to one 
another. Possess them with a spirit of meekness 
and humility, of truth and faithfulness. May they 
buy the truth and sell it not. Help them to con- 
sider in what slippery paths their feet stand, and 
to keep in view that solemn account, which they 



292 OCCASIONAL PKAYERS. 

must render to tliee of the deeds done in the body. 
Impress the hearts of us all with .grateful senti- 
ments for the manifold expressions of divine good- 
ness to us. May we especially feel thankful to thee 
for the light of this morning, and for the ease and 
comfort we enjoy. Give us this day our daily 
bread. Order all our circumstances in mercy. 
Prepare us for the solemnities of death. And 
when heart and fiesh shall fail, will God then be 
the strength of our hearts and our portion forever; 
and all the glory shall be to the Eternal God, 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost, world without end. 
Amen. 



WEEK DAY SCHOOL. 

Close. 
Our Father, who art in heaven ! we, thy crea- 
tures, desire now to draw near unto thee, and to 
worship before the Lord our Maker. Thou hast 
created us, and in thy sovereign goodness hast 
made us wiser than the beasts of the field, or the 
fowls of the air ; and hast given us minds capable 
of knowing, loving and enjoying thee, whose favor 
is life. To thee are we indebted for all we pos- 
sess, and to thee would we desire to make those 
returns of gratitude and obedience which are just- 
ly thy due. 



OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 293 

Wilt thou look upon us at this time with special 
favor, and errant unto us the blessino^s we need. 
Especially do thou mercifully regard the youth, 
who attend here for purposes of instruction. May 
they, in this important part of their existence, at- 
tain to that knowledge, and acquire those princi- 
ples of conduct, which shall render them blessings 
to their friends and society, and ornaments to re- 
ligion. Bless the families of which they are sev- 
erally members ; and may they who are entrusted 
with their education, feel the importance of bring- 
ing them up in the way in which they should go, that 
when they are old, they may not depart from it. 
Early possess their hearts by thy heavenly grace. 
May they be sober, just, holy, and temperate in all 
things. May they be obedient to their parents, 
and return with grateful love, the kindness of those, 
who have supported and protected them in past 
days. Lead them not into tem.ptation, but deliver 
them from evil. May they seek the Lord while he 
is to be found, and call upon him while he is near. 

Bless our fellow men whom thou hast taught us 
to love. Bless the land in which we dwell, and 
make this the glory of all lands. May the rising 
generation be a seed to serve thee. Forgive the 
sins which any of us may have committed against 
thee this day. Make us all thy children. Fit us 



294 PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 

to serve thee here and to enjoy thee forever. 
These things we humbly crave, through the infinite 
merits of the divine Redeemer, to whom, with the 
Father of mercies, and the Spirit of truth, be ren- 
dered all honor, ghrj and praise, world without 
end. Amen. 



PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS 



BEFORE CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION. 

Lord my God ! I thank thee, that thou hast 
created me a rational and intelligent creature, ca- 
pable of knowing, loving, serving and enjoying thee, 
the living and true God. Especially would I 
praise thee, that thou hast placed me in circum* 
stances so favorable to the development of the 
high, holy, and heavenly principles of my nature. 
I humbly beseech thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ, 
thy Son, to look upon me in mercy, and to grant 
me grace to appreciate all my privileges aright, 
and to improve them to the purposes for which they 
have been given. 

As thou hast especially favored me abundantly 
with the means of instruction in things that con- 
cern my soul's eternal peace, may I profit greatly 
by them. To this end, I entreat thee to look with 
special favor upon him who is called to be my in- 



PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 295 

structor in spiritual things. Give him that wisdom 
from above which is profitable to direct. May he 
have enlarcred views of divine truth, and be enabled 
to communicate them clearly and forcibly to others. 
Oh that he may especially feel deeply interested 
in the welfare of the youth committed to his charge, 
and labor diligently for the salvation of their souls ! 
Let the influences of the Holy Ghost accompany 
all the instruction imparted in accordance with thy 
will, and make it productive of much good. 

Help me to listen attentively to all that is said; 
and may I carefully treasure it up in my heart, 
and permit it to bring forth fruit in my life ! May 
I be led by thy grace to see and to feel my ex- 
ceeding sinfulness before thee, and my consequent 
helplessness and misery ! At the same time, do 
thou conduct me to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the 
Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the 
world, and help me to receive and trust in him as 
my only Saviour. Thus, may I be fitted for thy 
service on earth, and be prepared for having ad- 
ministered unto me, at last, an abundant entrance 
into thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus 
Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen. 



AFTER CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTION. 

Father of mercies, and God of all consolation 
and grace, to thee would I once more lift up my 



298 PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 

heart, in humble supplication and prayer. Oh 
that thou wouldst look on me mth favor, and, for 
the sake of Jesus Christ, impart to me the blessings 
I need, which thou, and thou only hast to bestow ! 
I am a poor, sinful worm of the dust. My heart, 
by nature, is exceedingly corrupt, so that I am in- 
clined to evil continually. If left to myself, I shall 
ever go astray from thee, the living and true God, 
and involve myself in all the fearful consequences 
of sin and transgression. Oh that thou wouldst 
have mercy on me, and lead me, by repentance and 
faith, to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the 
world ! 

To this end especially, I pray thee to bless the 
means of instruction with which thou hast favored 
me. May the teachings which I have this day 
heard from the mouth of thy servant, so far as they 
accord with thy holy word, make a deep and lasting 
impression on my heart, and bring forth the peacea- 
ble fruits of righteousness in my life ! Especially 
may thy Holy Spirit take of the things of Christ, 
and show them unto me, that so my heart and af- 
fections may become entirely weaned from this 
world, and set wholly on thee, and divine things. 
Do thou not only incline me to profess Christ be- 
fore men, but also enable me to make such profes- 
sion honestly and intelligently, so that, by thy 



PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 297 

grace, I may ever thereafter walk worthy of my 
high and holy vocation. I ask these mercies in 
the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son. 

Amen. 



BEFORE CONFIRMATION. 

In fervent supplication and prayer would I, 
Lord, humblv draw near to thee at this time. I 
am placed in circumstances of special interest and 
solemnity. Thou hast been pleased to favor me 
with the means of instruction in spiritual and di- 
vine things ; and through the influence thereof, ac- 
companied by the operations of the Holy Ghost, I 
trust I have been brought to see ray lost and ruin- 
ed condition as a sinner before thee, and led to 
embrace, with a believing and penitent heart, the 
rich provisions of salvation furnished in and through 
the gift of thine own Son. I would praise thee 
with my whole heart for all thou hast done for me. 

And now, as I am about publicly to profess my 
faith in Jesus Christ, and thus to take on me my 
covenant vows and engagements to be forever 
thine, and to unite with thy people in observing 
the Saviour's dying command, may I be fitted for 
the solemn work before me. I feel that in and of 
myself I am wholly unequal to what is required at 
my hands ; but my hope, as well as my help is in 
20 



298 PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 

thee. Do thou, therefore, for the sake of Jesus 
Christ my Lord, impart to me the influences I 
need. Help me, humbly, penitently, and believ- 
ingly to approach thine altar, and there sincerely 
and devoutly to take on me my solemn vows ; and 
when I appear at the table of my dying Lord, may 
I sensibly realize his presence, and be enabled to 
feed by faith upon his crucified body and shed 
blood. Oh that this solemn season may prove in- 
deed a feast of fat things to my soul ! And, when 
I shall have come down from this mount of privi- 
leges, help me ever so to live and act, that, when 
the course of this present life shall have been run, 
I may be privileged to spend an eternity of bless- 
edness with thee, in heaven, through Jesus Christ 
my Lord. Amen. 



AFTER CONFIRMATION. 
Almighty and most merciful God, I once more 
prostrate myself before thy throne of grace, and 
humbly supplicate thy favor and love. I have 
been permitted to enrol myself among the followers 
of the Lamb. My vows have been laid at thine 
altar, and the transaction has been sealed over the 
emblems of the Saviour's broken body and shed 
blood. No longer am I my own ; but I belong to 
my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. I thank thee 



PRAYERS FOR CATECHUMENS. 299 

for the high and holy privilege which thou hast 
conferred on me; and would rejoice still further in. 
anticipation of the unknown joys which await thy 
children in the world to come. 

Help me. Lord, to prove faithful to my cove* 
nant vows and engagements. Many are the temp- 
tations and dangers to which I am continually ex- 
posed ; and such is my weakness, that I am wholly 
insufficient of myself to pass through them without 
being overwhelmed. But thou hast promised that 
thy grace shall be sufficient for me, and thy 
strength perfected in my weakness. Oh that thou 
wouldst verify thy promise in my happy experience ! 
Have me at all times in thy holy care and keeping. 
Mark out plainly before me the path of duty, and 
help me to walk steadfastly therein, turning neith- 
er to the right nor to the left. May it be my con- 
stant aim, as well as the source of my highest de- 
light, to seek the temporal as well as the eternal 
interests of my fellow-men ; and may I cheerfully 
use, for this purpose, all the gifts with which thou 
shalt be pleased to intrust me. Impart to me 
largely of the influences of the Holy Ghost, so that 
I may be guided in the way of all truth, and afc 
all times share abundantly the consolations of thy 
grace. Guard me against every species of sin and 
transgression ; and help me to go up through this 



800 MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS. 

"wilderness-world, leaning on Jesus as the beloved 
of my soul, so that, when the conflicts of this life 
shall end, I may rejoice in the victory which thou 
givcst to thy children, through Jesus Christ my 
Lord. Amen. 



MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS.^^ 



For Direction in any important Concern. 
Thou God of wisdom and love ! we desire to 
acknowledge thee in all our ways. Be pleased, ac- 
cording to thine own word of promise, to direct our 
paths, at all times, and especially in the important 
matter now claiming our attention. Shew us the 
way in which we should go, and help us to pursue 
such measures as shall be most for our comfort and 
usefulness, and for the glory of thy name. Pros- 
per us, w^e entreat thee, in our undertaking, and 
give us the satisfaction to find that we have done 
what was right. Let integrity and uprightness 
ever preserve us ; for we wait on thee. 



For a Young Person going from Home^ ivitli a 
View to obtain an Fducation or prepare for 
JBusiness. 

, We acknowledge thy Providence, God, in all 

-^ Tho paragraphs under this head, may be either used sep- 
arately, or lidded to the regular prayers, at some suitable 
place. 



MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS. 301 

that concerns the welfare of our family, and would 
now commit to thy care, the young person about to 
leave it, in order to prepare for his future employ- 
ment in life. We pray thee graciously to direct 
his steps. Let thy wisdom be his guide, and thy 
power his defence. Keep him from all the temp- 
tations to which his situation may expose him. 
Give him favor with those among whom he shall 
reside, and make him faithful to the trust that shall 
be reposed in him. May he be diligent in business, 
and, at the same time, fervent in spirit, serving the 
Lord. Keep him from the snares of evil compa- 
ny, and from the influence of all youthful lusts. 
Fit him for an honorable and useful station in life, 
and make him a blessing to the world and to the 
Church. In all his gettings, may he get under- 
standing, and secure that better part, which shall 
not be taken away from him. 



For One going or gone on a Journey. 

To thy care and blessing, God ! we commit 
the memher of this family, who is about to go [has 
gone'] a journey. Graciously be pleased to keep 
him from all the evils of the way. Grant him a 
comfortable interview with friends, and success ii^ 
the particular object of the journey ; and return 
him to his home in health and safety. Preserve 
20* 



S02 MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS. 

US all going out and coming in from this time forth 
and forever ; and especially keep us from sin. 



For One expecting the Time of Travail. 
We humbly entreat thy favorable regard towards 
thy hand-maid expecting the hour of nature^s sot- 
sow. Be pleased to carry her safely to and through 
it. Help her to trust in thee, and do thou mani- 
fest thj^ delivering mercy, so as to give us renewed 
occasion to rejoice in thee as the God of salvation, 
to whom belong the issues from death. May every 
addition to this family be made in mercy, and do 
thou give us a name better than of sons and 
daughters. 



For Rain in Time of Dronglit, 

We confess, Lord, that we have abused thy 
goodness to us, so as richly to deserve that thou 
shouldst cause the heavens over us to be as brass, 
and the earth under us as iron ; but we pray that 
thou wouldst have mercy upon us in Jesus Christ 
thy Son, and save us from the calamities with 
which we are threatened. Do thou open the win- 
dows of heaven, and cause the rain to come down 
in its season ; making grass to grow for the cattle, 
and herbs and fruits of the earth for the service of 



MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAPHS. SOS 

men. And howsoever thou shalt be pleased to 
deal with us, keep us from murmuring or repining 
at thy providences. May all things be found to 
work together for our good. 



For Fair Weather in Time of excessive Rain, 

We pray thee, Father of mercies ! to put a 
stop to the calamity that threatens destruction to 
the works of thy hands ; that the rain, which is 
thy blessing, may not be turned into a curse, nor 
descend from heaven to corrupt and spoil the fruits 
of the earth. Cause the overflowing showers to 
cease, which dampen the joy of harvest, and en- 
danger the blasting of thy blessings. May the 
products of the earth be preserved to satisfy the 
wants of thy creatures. 



Thanksgiving for Deliverance from imminent 

Danger. 

thou kind Shepherd of Israel ! unto thee we 
tender our unfeigned thanksgiving for the season- 
able deliverance thou hast wrought out for a mem- 
her of this family, in time of imminent danger. 
In thy hand our breath is, and thine are all our 
ways. Thou keepest our eyes from tears, our feet 
from falling, and our souls from death. Help us 
ever to put our trust in thee, and to consecrate the 



S04 MISCELLANEOUS PARAGRAMS* 

lives which thou hast preserved, to thy service and 
honor. 



Thanksgiving for a Safe Return from a Journey* 

Praised be thy goodness, thou God of our 
lives! for the protection thou hast afforded to «: 
member of this family amidst the dangers of a 
journey. Make us duly sensible of our obligations 
to thy providential care ; and do thou continue to 
watch over us at home or abroad, (jrant that 
while we live, and move, and have our being in 
thee, we may live to thy praise. Preserve us in 
the great journey of life, and bring us safe to our 
eternal home. 



Thanksgiving for Main after a Drought. 

We praise thee, Lord, that thou hast not left 
thyself without a witness ; but art continually do- 
ing good, even to the unthankful and unworthy. 
Thou givest them rain from heaven and fruitful 
seasons, and fiUest their hearts with joy and glad- 
ness. Thou mightest justly have caused the heav- 
ens over us to be as brass, and the earth under us 
as iron. We have richly deserved even so great a 
calamity, and thy power, without a miracle, could 
easily have inflicted it. But, though thou hast tried 
our patience, and awakend our fears ; yet thou hast 



PRAYERS AT TABLE. 305 

not forgotten to be gracious. We praise thee for 
sending us seasonable and plentiful rain, by which 
thou hast refreshed and revived the drooping fields, 
so that the earth promises to yield her increase. 



Thanksgiving for Fair Weather after excessive 

Rain.. 

Thou, Lord, art good, and doest good. Thou 
hast again surpassed our deserts, and done better 
to us than our fears. Thou causest the clear 
shining after the rain, and savest us from the fear- 
ful desolations with which we were threatened. 
Thou providest for man and beast. May we feel 
our entire dependence on thee ; and by prayer and 
praise give unto thee the glory that is due unto 
thy holy name. 



PRAYERS AT TABLE. 



Before Meat. 

Command thy blessing upon us, Lord, in the 
reception of the food of thine own providing, which 
we now have before us. Enable us to receive it 
with grateful hearts and to improve the strength 
we derive therefrom to the glory and praise of thy 
name in Christ our Lord. Amen. 



306 PRAYERS AT TABLE. 

Look in mercy upon us, Lord, at this time^ 
and bless us in the use of the gifts of thy bounty 
now before us. May these and all thy mercies 
flow to us in the channel of redeeming love, and 
do us good as they do the upright in heart, through 
Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 



The eyes of all wait upon thee, Lord, and 
thou givest them their meat in due season. Help 
us to realize that all our mercies come from thee. 
Make us grateful for them, and grant us their 
sanctified use through riches of grace in Christ 
Jesus our Redeemer. Amen, 



Once more, Lord, we are permitted to sur- 
round this table, furnished with the provisions of 
thy bounty. Sanctify them to our use and us to 
thy service in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. Amen. 



Thou, Lord, art the Giver of every good and 
perfect gift. Thou openest thy hand liberally, 
and administerest to our wants as they return. 
May all our mercies be received with becoming 
sentiments of gratitude, and with a disposition, in 
the enjoyment thereof, to live to thy glory and 
praise in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. Amen. 



PRAYERS AT TABLE. 307 

We praise thee, Lord, for the gifts of thy 
bounty now before us ; and pray thee to accompa- 
ny them with thy blessing. And whilst thou art 
thus mindful of our bodies, be pleased also to feed 
our souls with the bread of eternal life, through 
Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 



After Meat. 
Accept, Lord, our grateful acknowledgments 
for the present instance of thy goodness ; and con- 
tinue thy favors unto us as we need them, in 
Christ our Redeemer. Amen. 



We thank thee, Lord, for the portion of thy 
earthly bounty, of which we have now partaken to 
the satisfying of our returning wants. And whilst 
thou art providing for the body, we pray thee not 
to forget the wants of our never-dying souls ; all 
which we ask for Christ's sake. Amen. 



Once more, Lord, hast thou fed us with food 
convenient for us. We thank thee for thy kind re- 
membrance of us, and pray for grace and strength 
to make to thee those returns of obedience which 
are justly thy due, in Christ Jesus our Redeemer. 
Amen. 



'308 PRAYERS AT TABLE. 

We praise thee, Lord, for the favors we are con- 
stantty receiving at thy hands, but especially for 
the food of which we have just partaken. Let thy 
mercies be evermore continued, and may we be en- 
abled, in the enjoyment thereof, to live to the 
glory and praise of thy name, in Christ our Re- 
deemer. Amen. 



Thou hast placed us, Lord, under renewed 
obligations to thee, in that thou hast once more 
supplied our returning wants ; and we pray for 
grace and strength to make thee renewed returns 
of gratitude and praise, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 



To thee, 0, Lord, would we lift up our hearts in 
gratitude, for the rich provision thou art constant- 
ly making for meeting the wants of our bodies ; 
and we pray thee, with all these creature comforts, 
to add the blessings and privileges of thy grace, 
so that whilst our bodies are fed with food conve- 
nient for them, our souls may be nourished with 
the bread of eternal life, through Christ Jesus our 
Redeemer. Amen. 



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